An Apple a Day
by hyperRme
Summary: ...but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is pursuing Raito’s life.
1. Chapter 1

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his Moto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warnings: Yaoi. Boy loving boy. If you don't like it, don't complain to me how I somehow magically forced you to read it and now you're sending me nasty messages. No spoilers to Death Note itself. Mikami will be making a presence later on but no spoilers to whom exactly he is. I do mention L's real name so if you've miraculously searched through FFnet and have yet to see it, I don't want to spoil that for you unlike the majority of us.

There will be mention of blood, guts, and torture. There is a murderer running loose. If you're not into that, please hold your stomach. But that's later.

I also bring up different kinds of illnesses. By no means am I jesting at anyone who has any of the medical illnesses later mentioned. I have one of the illnesses and although I laugh at myself I would never do that to someone else. Please don't cry to me how I'm being cruel to people with the diseases. Because I'm not.

Please enjoy and leave a review!!

* * *

Breakfast: Strawberry shortcake, two cinnamon buns with extra icing, three muffins, and coffee with twenty sugar cubes for extra energy.

Snack: One pound chocolate bar.

Lunch: Bowl of chocolate truffles, cheesecake, six chocolate chip cookies, a croissant, pack of gummy bears and tea with thirteen sugar cubes.

Snack: Giant lollipop

Dinner: Tiramisu, two pieces of Chocolate German cake, three sugar cookies, two cupcakes and more coffee, nine sugars.

Snack: Koala March cookies

Dessert: Five scoop ice cream with chocolate fudge, caramel, sprinkles, whipped cream, peanut butter, butterscotch, chocolate chips, and Oreo crumbs. Drowned down by a chocolate milkshake.

Next day: Repeat.

* * *

Watari sighed watching his young master L Lawliet clutch his stomach in pain, moaning as if he had never felt such agony before.

He had warned him…

"Master Ryuuzaki…" Watari said calmly, placing medicine and water on the table to help ease the pain, although he knew L wouldn't drink the water for its lack of sugar and taste. "Your sugar intake is going through the roof. You are going to get extremely sick and develop diabetes if you continue this way."

As expected L pushed away the glass of water and took the pill with his sugar saturated coffee. "I cannot think straight without sugar, you know that Watari. This case is extremely difficult. There is a psychopathic killer out there who is kidnapping young women and men from nightclubs throughout Japan and is performing surgery on them while they're alive and conscious and letting them bleed to death. Sugar is an upmost necessity with a case like this," L groaned yet again as his stomach rebelled against the coffee. "I will be… ugh… fine."

The elder gentleman sighed, knowing it would come to this. Being L's advisor, he knew all of the detective's quirks, habits and attitudes. Two examples of such is his love of sugar to an unhealthy extreme and his stubbornness. He worried terribly over his health and but they couldn't risk going to a doctor. They needed papers, documents, a name, and Watari couldn't handle any more fake identifications flying around.

Luckily, he had heard of a doctor not too far away from their building that specialized in everything from rare diseases, to broken bones, to simple common colds- he knew it all. And the best part was that he was an underground doctor, taking in whomever without a single question of their name. No medical background was necessary. All he needed was a few questions answered and he would be able to fix his patients to complete health.

Watari felt as if he were on cloud nine. L's identity wouldn't be discovered and his health would be restored. He had scheduled an appointment straight way, at the first sign of L's illness. From then the pain and suffering has only increased day by day.

With a quick check to the calendar, Watari noticed today was the appointment date he had scheduled two weeks ago. He had yet to tell L that he called a doctor for him and feared how he would respond. He guessed refusal was going to be the detective's tactic so Watari planned ahead.

"How about we go out and buy ice cream?" The old man suggested. "Car rides usually settle your stomach nicely and vanilla ice cream might help it as well."

L gave him a scrutinizing look, examining Watari's carefully placed poker face. Seeing no ill intentions, L nodded and gracefully hopped from his chair. "Let us go, Watari." Clutching his stomach, L passed the elder man and walked toward the garage, missing the smirk sent at his back.

* * *

L got suspicious after ten minutes in the car.

"Watari, this is not the way to the ice cream parlor. I had originally thought you had found a new one but this is a bit of a long trip for ice cream that could easily be found six minutes and thirty-four seconds from our head quarters. Where are you taking me?"

L heard the sound of the car doors locking. He pulled at the door handle to find it securely locked. With no way to open it from the backseat, he spun toward the window that showed into the driver's seat. "Watari, I demand to know where we are heading!"

Watari rolled up the separating window, leaving only a small section open for L to hear him answer, "Doctor" and closed it.

L banged on the window with his fists, terrified, "Watari! Watari!" L slumped down in the leather seat, knowing that all attempts of persuading the old man was futile. He clutched his stomach, letting out a pained moan.

Oh, how he hated doctors -ever since the first time he entered their cold office when he was to take the physical exam for entrance into the Whammy's Orphanage at the age of eight. Since he had been living on the streets for the past year and a half, he failed miserably. Luckily, his IQ alone was high enough for entrance. L was thrown on antibiotics and was prescribed to take at least twenty pills a day to regulate his body. A week later, L refused to take anymore drugs and vowed to never step foot inside a doctor's office again.

Luckily, the job "L" required hidden identities and isolation. No doctors will look at you without a medical background and a name they can look up and store. He couldn't afford to give out either.

L taunted life with the fact that he would not be allowed into doctor's office by eating his weight in sweets everyday day, not exercising (minus tennis), little to no sleep, and constantly working in a high stress zone.

Unfortunately, Fate has a terrible sense of revenge.

L stayed quiet the rest of the ride, his brain racking up escape plans and fruitless attempts to calm down his radical stomach.

Half an hour later, the car pulled into a nearly vacant parking lot with a simple looking office next to it.

L took a survey of his surroundings and sighed, distressed. The doctor's office was in the middle of a suburb. There were no tall buildings to hide in, no forest to escape into, only houses with lots of onlookers and witnesses.

Goddamnit.

Watari opened the backseat door, leaving it wide open for his escape. L knew the old man's pockets were stuffed with sedates and handcuffs, possibly a stun gun as well. He still kept the door open as if to say, "We'll do this the hard way or the easy way."

As much as L wanted to dash away, he couldn't bear the humiliation of being dragged in the office, bound and unconscious.

Frowning at the elder man, L stepped out of the car and slumped his way to the office, his hands twitching to caress his aching stomach.

Watari followed his young master, a small victory smile on his old, wrinkled face.

* * *

L bit his thumb in anticipation. He sat in one of the small examination cubicles incredibly bored, wishing he had a nice intellectual magazine. He had waited all of seven minutes and twenty-four seconds in the waiting room with nice intellectual magazines to read before a perky blonde nurse called him in. Watari told L to go ahead; he'll wait with those nice intellectual magazines. The nurse measured his height (five foot eight) and dropped him on the scale (one hundred and ten pounds). She scolded him for being so underweight and gave him a lecture why maintaining regular weight is good for the body.

L knew that she secretly envied him.

She shoved him into the cubicle after his ears were lectured to death. "Raito-sensei will be in soon," She giggled, slamming the door.

L tentatively crouched in his usual hunched position on the top of the examination table, the wax sheet crinkling with each slight movement. He gazed at the white walls and the shiny proud plaques. "Raito Yagami" they read in gold ink. There were no windows he noticed miserably and only one door. The cabinets and closets were most likely filled with so much medical equipment L wouldn't be able to squeeze in. He clutched at his stomach tighter, preparing for the worst.

There were two sharp raps at the door before it opened. "Welcome."

Enter God's gift to mankind wrapped up in a pristine white doctor's coat. Silky honey hair framed a soft creamy butterscotch ice cream colored face with sharp, melted caramel eyes and pink cotton candy colored lips, forming a small smile, just for L.

The rigid detective felt his heart jump for the sweet, sweet doctor.

L stared, practically drooling as the young doctor took a small rolling stool near the examination table, tapping the manila folder in his hands.

Doctor Yagami smiled sweetly at the detective but soon frowned. "Is that how you sit? That's not good for your back. You must have a terrible hunch when you stand."

"I must sit this way, doctor-sensei," L responded, using up all his energy to resist the urge to spring upon the lean doctor, "Or else my reasoning ability will be cut by forty percent."

The doctor gave him a stern, and incredibly delicious, look. "I highly doubt that is the case but we will talk about that later, I suppose. My name is Doctor Raito Yagami and what is your name?"

"Ryuuga Hideki," L unconsciously licked his lips at the doctor's name.

"Well, Hideki-san, your grandfather called you in, I believe. What brings you here this lovely Tuesday?"

"Nothing."

Yagami-sensei raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? Nothing?"

"That is what I said, Yagami-sensei."

"I believe you are lying to me, Hideki-san," The doctor's cotton candy lips forming a smirk, "Your grandfather mentioned over the phone that not only do you eat twice your weight in junk food everyday but you also don't exercise, fail to eat your daily source of vitamins, refuse to have a normal sleeping pattern and are constantly under stress due to work."

"Sounds like a splendid life style to have, doctor."

"Not if you want to die early or develop diabetes, it isn't," He retorted, pushing the honey colored hair away from his face. "It's not all that complicated, Hideki-san. Just eat the foods on the list I will hand you later and you'll feel better in no time. Now, shirt off."

L let out a fake surprised yet eager gasp, "Doctor! I never knew you felt that way! I couldn't! We've just met!"

Yagami-sensei looked as if he wanted, oh so desperately, to smack him upside the head. "No, you pervert. I need to check your heartbeat and lungs."

"I'm a… pervert?" L asked naively, taking off his shirt and tossing it to the carpet flooring. Yagami-sensei pushed down L's curled up legs and leaned in, his warm breath fanning his face. L desperately craved to move closer. The doctor pressed his cold stethoscope to his chest, causing him to squirm. "It's cold."

"You'll get used to it," Yagami-sensei responded, not particularly caring if the metal was freezing cold or scorching hot and continued to move the metal closer to his patient's heart. L felt himself blush at the closeness of the irresistibly delectable doctor. "Your heart is beating quite fast. Nervous?"

"Of course not. Why would I be?" L asked in a monotone voice. The doctor shrugged and moved to his back.

He had a 'tsk' noise. "Look how terrible your back is. It's full of knots. I told you sitting like that is bad," He scolded, running a finger up L's spine. The raven haired detective squirmed even more. "Are you ticklish?" The doctor inquired, "You're moving around a lot."

"No, I am not ticklish," L said, secretly wishing Yagami-sensei would either back off from his personal bubble or jump him. He vouched for the latter action. The doctor pressed the stethoscope to L's back and told him to breathe in.

"Your heartbeat is regular…" He muttered and scribbled down notes with a black ballpoint pen, "Stand up and bend over."

"If Yagami-sensei wants sex, I should warn him that I shall be the dominant one in this relationship," L hopped off of the examination table and peered closely at the scrumptious doctor.

Yagami-sensei narrowed his caramel eyes, "Rest assures, Hideki-san, that was not my intention."

"Are you sure? I could show you a really…"

"Just do as you're told!" L sent him a wicked smile and bent over as far as he could.

"I know you want it, Yagami-sensei," He cooed, "I can see it in your eyes." The doctor ignored him easily enough and ran a finger down L's exposed spine. Against his wishes, the detective squirmed again.

"You seem to be very sensitive here, Hideki-san," He sounded smug, "Are you not used to being touched here often?"

"Yagami-sensei can touch me there all he wants," He retorted. He received a snort in response. The doctor ran his finger up and down his spinal column three times before his other hand joined on his back. "Why is Yagami-sensei massaging my back?" L asked, trying his hardest to keep his monotone voice from quavering.

"It pains me as a doctor to see all the stress knots back here," He answered with a hard push on his back, "A massage would be good for you once in a while."

L was two seconds away from releasing an embarrassing moan when Yagami-sensei pulled his hands back, "Get on the examination table and lay stomach up."

Obeying, L climbed on the table and laid down, his back crinkling the noisy wax paper. His face threatened to glow red as the deliciously handsome doctor leaned over him, reminding L of those cheesy romance novels where the man would trap the woman between himself and a couch. He cursed mentally as he realized he compared himself to a woman. His mind rushed back to the cheesy romance novel when Yagami-sensei slowly and gently pressed a hand to his bare chest.

"Yagami-sensei… Ouch!" He cried as the supposed 'slow and gentle' hand jabbed quickly and sharply into his sore stomach.

"Hmm… that's no good," The doctor said, pressing on the sore spot again.

"This is quite unpleasant, sensei," L hissed.

"A healthy person's stomach wouldn't hurt," He pressed harder then moved to the each side and just below the sternum, jabbing with inhuman strength. Yagami-sensei stopped his torture five stabs later, writing in his manila folder with a disappointed shake of his head.

L sat back up quickly in case his doctor decided to poke him a few more times. Yagami-sensei walked across the room to the counter, searching through the cabinets. L thanked the gods that he did not believe in for the blessed sight of Raito Yagami's backside. If all the sweets he's consumed in his entire life time were to suddenly attack him at once, he could die a happy man.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and Yagami-sensei turned around with a retinoscope, otoscope, and a large Popsicle stick, without the Popsicle. He flicked the light on in the retinoscope. The doctor leaned in close to L's face once again, shining the light in his eyes.

"So you're eyes aren't completely black after all," He mused, moving the light from one eye to the next, "They have little flecks of gray in them." He replaced the retinoscope with the otoscope and brushed back L's black hair from his ear. He bent forward, checking one ear and then the other, "Your ears aren't terrible." Yagami-sensei grabbed the Popsicle-less stick, "Say 'Ahh'."

L most certainly did not say 'Ahh' but he opened his mouth. The doctor placed the Popsicle-less stick on his tongue and pressed down, opening his mouth wider. After a short peak, the stick was removed from his mouth.

"One more thing…" Yagami-sensei muttered, tossing the Popsicle-less stick in the garbage and the retinoscope and the otoscope on the shelf. L jumped when he heard the sound of Velcro ripping. "Relax it's just a blood pressure cuff," He chuckled strapping his skinny arm to the cuff. At one end was a small rubber ball connected to the cuff by a rubber tube. "Just breathe regularly," He squeezed the ball and the cuff tightened. Yagami-sensei compressed the ball again and again until L felt his arm was about to explode. Suddenly, he stopped, letting the pressure slowly lessen, and he watched the meter as he counted under his breath.

The doctor freed his arm from the blood pressure cuff and L immediately rubbed the spot. "I can't believe you have perfect blood pressure with all the junk food your grandfather described to me."

"I guess I am just lucky."

"Lucky is what you could call it…" He placed the blood pressure cuff in a drawer under the cabinets and seated himself on his rolling stool. Yagami-sensei flipped open his manila folder and clicked his pen, "I have a few more questions for you. Do you have extreme thirst?"

"Cakes and cookies require lots of coffee and tea to drown them down and coffee and tea obtain the caffeine I need to work long hours. So I would not call it a necessity, just a desire."

"Do you have frequent urination?" He asked, writing with record shattering speed.

"Since I drink often, that would be a yes but I have a bladder of steal so I do not go often."

"That's not good for your bladder. You shouldn't just hold it in like that. Anyway, do you have unexplained weight loss? It does say here that you weigh one hundred and ten pounds."

"I have always been unnaturally underweight. This is not anything new. I have a very high metabolism."

"I would say so, there is no way possible someone can eat nearly ten thousand calories a day, not exercise and weigh one hundred and ten pounds. Do you have increasing hunger?"

"I am usually always hungry, Yagami-sensei. It has not increased at all."

"Tingling on your hands and feet?"

"My feet sometimes do because they have fallen asleep. They often do that when you sit like I do for nine hours at a time. My hands do not though."

After a moment of silence, Yagami-sensei sighed,"I'm not sure whether to have you test for diabetes or not," The doctor said, looking at his notes, "Every answer had a possible double-meaning."

"I do not think it is necessary for me to go through testing. My answers do not have double-meanings and I am perfectly healthy. If I were to somehow begin any of those symptoms I will be sure to call Yagami-sensei."

"Well, Hideki-san, your health is in jeopardy but if you act now I'm sure you can prevent some serious illnesses, such as diabetes. You need to watch out for those symptoms. I'll be kicking myself later for not testing you, so don't make me regret this," He handed the still shirtless L a note.

"A phone number?" L grinned, "Doctor, I thought you were a professional."

Yagami-sensei, this time, actually slapped his head. "Will you behave? Look at it. It's instructions for a healthier diet."

L opened the note, already feeling dread in his sore stomach. "Carrots? Cucumbers? SALAD?!" L stuck his tongue out in disgust. "What about fruits? They at least taste sweet."

"They're at the bottom of the list, see?" The doctor moved in close to the heart pounding detective, leaning over his shoulder, pointing to the list. "There's melon, strawberries, cherries, bananas…"

"Apples?" L asked, noticing the word at the very bottom of the list. The doctor nodded, moving back and collecting his folder. "The fruit of the forbidden? Of love and death? Yagami-sensei wants me to eat those?"

"Well, you know what they say: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'." Yagami-sensei smiled radiantly at L, throwing him a wink. "Goodbye Hideki-san." And he closed the door.

L stared at the closed door where the only person he ever felt attracted to left so suddenly.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away…" He muttered. The detective ripped up the note the doctor had given him. L smirked, shoving the pieces of paper in his pocket and opened the door. He most certainly didn't want the delicious doctor away.

"But if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit."

* * *

I hope you've enjoyed this short prologue. It will get better and more exciting, I promise.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his Moto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

I was pleased with the turnout of the story. Thank you! I hope this one exceeds your expectations. We've got some more perverted L (which people took a great liking to) and more humor (?). We're also touching base on the Crime part of this story. But most of you are probably here for the romance…

* * *

"Now what did you say you have again?"

"Manocuplicious. You must be aware, doctor, of Manocuplicious the disease of heart swelling, sweaty palms, nervousness, and heart flutters."

"There is no such thing."

"Then how do you explain my symptoms?"

"Hideki-san, you have green skin, yellow polka dots and a blue tongue. Nowhere in my teachings and medical books is there a disease called Manocuplicious or one with symptoms of green skin, yellow polka dots and a blue tongue."

"There must be if I have it. Maybe it is a brand new disease caught only by myself."

It had been one week. Seven days since L's last visit. Of course, he did nothing but eat sweets, not exercise, sleep in odd patterns (if at all) and work on that stressful case. Although his stomach continued to protest in pain, he never felt happier. Most of all, he stayed away from apples. In fact, whenever he saw the red fruit, he would toss it out a window, light it on fire or hide it in a place he knew Watari would never find them. In the meantime L spent the majority of his time thinking of diseases to come and see the doctor with, even going out of his way to hack into Yagami-sensei's schedule and blackmailing all of the recipients on the list for the day he was to make his visit.

L stared at the twitch in Yagami-sensei's caramel eye and wondered briefly if he was being a little too pushy in his ways of making the doctor his but he dismissed it from his thought process the second it appeared.

Yagami-sensei rolled his caramel eyes, running manicured fingers through sleek honey colored hair. "Hideki-san… You seem like an intelligent man. Why are you coming to me with a fake illness you know you made up?"

L tried to pout cutely for the doctor, "I put dyed my skin green and yellow for you, _sensei_," He purred trying to sound seductively. "I even drank a large blue raspberry slurpee for you. "

"Let me guess…" Yagami-sensei crossed his arms over his chest. "That slurpee you ate hurt your stomach, didn't it?" At L's silence, he continued, knowing he was right. "You also didn't follow any of my instructions from last week. Didn't you?"

"Yagami-sensei is very good at seeing through me," L commented, biting his thumb, "I can live with a few stomach pains if I get to see Yagami-sensei."

"You won't be living for long if you keep ignoring them! Can't you see you're due for diabetes, heart failure, and obesity along with many others as you continue to live this way? You'll be dead in a few years! And I also told you to stop sitting like a gargoyle. But you apparently enjoy not listening to me, now don't you?" L nodded his head, corners of his mouth quirking upward.

This was more entertaining that he had previously imagined. L pulled a small jawbreaker out of his back pocket and popped it in his mouth. Yagami-sensei scolded at the motion and L took great pride in such an expression. This was going to be very entertaining indeed.

"Since we can both safely say you are not sick, except the cramps in your stomach due to junk food, you may leave now, Hideki-san."

"You have yet to check me, doctor," L protested, "I didn't get to take my shirt off!"

"I saw last week how emaciated you are last week, despite your overeating of nothing but cake," Yagami-sensei sighed at the stubborn frown on L's face, "You are wasting both my time and yours, and your money, Hideki-san, with this pointless visit. I'm still charging you."

"Yagami-sensei has no other appointments today. If it were not for me, he would be very bored, would he not?"

"How did you…?" The doctor paused, thinking, and then glared, "You had my other patients cancel their appointments for today, didn't you? You hacked into my schedule."

"What makes you think that?" L said, looking the very picture of innocence.

Yagami-sensei yelled, "How else could you have known I had no other appointments today?" He stopped himself and took a deep breath in. "I think it's time you leave now, Hideki-san. You are not sick and I suggest you eat properly, starting with apples. I don't want to see you in here again unless it's an absolute emergency, got it?"

L nodded. "Yes, sensei." But behind his back, his fingers were crossed.

* * *

"How would you like an apple?" Watari asked.

"No."

"Blueberries?"

"No."

"Cherries?"

"No."

"Strawberries."

"No."

"Orange?"

"No."

"Pear?"

"No."

"Cake?"

"Yes."

* * *

"Look Master L, I bought vitamins!" Watari excitedly held up a container of children's SpongeBob vitamins.

L yawned, "So? I'm not going to eat them."

"Why not?"

"They taste like chalk."

Watari frowned, watching the detective leave the kitchen, waving his hand as if to say discussion over. He looked down at the children's SpongeBob vitamins, a smiley yellow sponge grinning widely back at him. He peeled off the seal and popped one in his mouth. He grimaced. They were hard, poorly flavored and most definitely chalky. He threw them in the garbage and returned to the groceries.

"Oh, and Watari?" L asked, sticking his head back in, "Would you bring me a plate of cookies?" The elder man nodded. Once the man was out of the room, he smirked viciously, evil laughter threatening to break through.

Ten minutes later Watari had created a plate of chocolate chip cookies and brought them into the computer room. He noticed that L was still clutching his stomach but made no comment; he believed he made enough for one day. He placed them on the desk, to the right of the computer mouse and left the room.

L snatched a cookie, examining the dessert carefully, a habit he had developed after the first attempt to sneak apples in his food. With a satisfied nod, he tossed the cookie whole in his mouth. He smiled, "They're warm."

Reaching for another cookie, L noticed two red gummy bears laying innocently on the side of the plate. He grinned, silently thanking whoever for letting him find that wonderful man Watari and gobbled them quickly.

For a split second, L was positive he heard an evil cackle but he shrugged, chomping on another cookie.

* * *

Watari was reading an article on the solved murder attacks in Uruguay by no other than Eraldo Coil in International Crime Magazine in the empty waiting room. He overheard two nurses talking, interrupting his business.

"Oh no, look who Raito-sensei is seeing right now…" The blonde girl pointed to the computer screen, half giggling half sighing.

The girl next to her leaned over, staring at the computer screen. "Hideki Ryuuga? Who is that?"

The blonde girl slapped her own forehead. "Of course! I'm sorry, Kiyomi-chan, I forgot this is only your third day on the job. Hideki Ryuuga-san is this incredibly bizarre patient. This is his third Tuesday here. He only appears on Tuesdays, and for some reason, all other appointments that day are canceled by the original patients. The first week, he was in for a normal check up because he wasn't eating correctly, only cake, coffee and candy. And he's underweight for crying out loud! That little bastard, I'm going to strangle that metabolism outta him!"

"What's so bad about him, Misa-chan?"

"Oh right, well the next Tuesday he came in with green skin, yellow polka dots and a blue tongue, claiming he had a disease called… err… mano-something. Anyway, the point is, he's back this Tuesday, all other appointments canceled and now he has some new illness that he absolutely must see Raito-sensei for."

"Do you think maybe this Hideki-san is infatuated with him? Raito-sensei is very handsome and could charm a snake out of a barrel. Hideki-san is most likely trying to get his attention with his weird sicknesses."

Misa bit the inside of her bottom lip. "I never thought about it but that could be true. I've already called dibs on Raito-sensei though!"

"You told me he rejected you five times already, Misa-chan."

"It was seven, actually."

"Do you think this Hideki-san has a chance?"

"No of course not! He's underweight, messy and talks weird! He probably does nothing but sit at home, in the dark, dressed in nothing but his underwear and thinks of ways to seduce Raito-sensei! He probably jacks off to him too! The pervert! Who would want a boyfriend like that?"

Watari smiled to himself, turning the page in his magazine. His young master L sure was something different.

* * *

L really out did himself this time. He was generally sick and the thought made him feel so elated, he had the overcoming need to jump onto the examination table, to hear the wax paper crinkling under the pressure of his weight. Sadly, his body was slow and sluggish no matter how fast paced his mind ran. He could barely bring himself to have the energy to lift his body onto the examination table. He shivered and waited impatiently for the scrumptious doctor to see him and his real sick germs.

L had stood out in the rain for four hours in nothing but a light white shirt, blue jeans and no shoes. He also turned on the air conditioning to an extremely low temperature and proceeded to sleep for five hours (a new record) in only his boxers. He couldn't have done any better even if he grabbed a used tissue from the garage can in a doctor's office although his fear of germs didn't allow him to go that far. He better be grateful, he thought wiping his nose with his arm; L doesn't get sick for just anybody. He frowned at the snot on his sleeve and quickly rubbed it onto the examination table, hearing the soft steps of Raito Yagami.

Doctor Yagami didn't bother to knock on the door, already looking sour when he stepped in. He calmly closed the door and turned his bitter glance upon him. L perked up immediately, nearly bouncing on his feet, as he rolled his caramel eyes and walked toward him. "This is the third Tuesday in a row, Hideki-san. What is it this time?"

"Yagami-sensei must guess. It is more enjoyable that way," His voice sounded stuffed and nasally although he struggled to maintain its monotone.

He scowled, "I don't know… Coconimen, a made up disease of bags under your eyes? Or maybe you have Hugitious, the disease of ratty, uncontrollable hair?"

L shook his head, "Yagami-sensei is quite creative but none of those are it."

He peered at L's face. "Hmm… your skin is neither green nor with yellow polka dots. Although it does appear to be pinker than before…"

L sneezed, as if almost on cue, "I have a fever, Yagami-sensei."

Yagami moved in closer and L, cold and eager for warmth, leaned in. A warm palm pressed against his forehead making L's eyes feel heavy as they slipped closed. He tilted his head upward and nearly purred. "Yes, you are burning up. What did you do this time? It was raining quite heavily last night. Did you stand outside in the rain for four hours and then sleep in a cold room in nothing but your underwear, by chance?"

L popped open his eyes, frowning as the hand felt his skin, "Yagami-sensei has a remarkable sense of seeing through me," He smiled, shivering in the cold room. The doctor noticed the quiver and walked to the closet. He pulled out a thick red fleece blanket and threw it on top of L's trembling body. "This blanket is quite warm however it does not cure me. Shall sensei fix me now? I can take off my shirt if it helps."

"Keep the shirt on, you're cold enough as it is," He growled, sitting gracefully upon his stool, "There really is no need to be dragging yourself to the doctor over a simple fever."

"There's not? I seemed to have wasted a good nine hours of my life then yesterday," L frowned as he eagerly wrapped the warm blanket around his body.

"Not unless your fever worsens, a trip to the doctor's office is just a waste of your time and money. Although, you really don't seem to mind that, now do you?" L gave him a tired smile. "You need rest, blankets, vitamins, and some hot tea or soup. I suggest skipping out on dessert and taking the next two days off from work and sleep your fever off."

"I cannot do that. I have lots of work that needs to be done," L retorted quickly, snuggling deeper into the blanket, looking like an Eskimo.

"You should have thought about that before you got yourself sick," Yagami-sensei sighed, "There's really nothing I can do but send you home."

"I heard, Yagami-sensei, that the best way to warm up his with body heat- naked body on naked body." L purred, spreading the blanket open, like wings, inviting the doctor to join him. "I will get healthier faster this way and I know that a doctor's job is to make his patients healthy as soon as possible."

"Yes, you do have a point," Yagami-sensei said, tapping his finger to his chin. He opened the door to the office and yelled out, "Misa-chan? Kiyomi-chan? Would one of you two please…?"

"Yagami-sensei is so dense," L muttered hotly, "He should know that I do not want their help."

"I do know that," Yagami-sensei insisted with a short laugh, "I just like messing with your head." He paused, as if he just realized something while L mumbled some curses under his breath.

"Did you eat any apples yet?" L grinned.

"Of course not, sensei."

* * *

"_Oh, L-sama, stop teasing me!" A breathless Raito moaned, squirming underneath the detective's dexterous fingers._

"_You know you like it, Raito-kun." L kissed the doctor's nipple before clamping his teeth over the hardening bud, making the young male arch his back._

"_L-sama…"_

"L?"

The youngest member of the investigation team looked at the camera of L's laptop as if he tried hard enough, he would be able to see the mysterious detective. "L?" He called again.

"_L-sama…" Raito whispered huskily, running his manicured fingers through his lover's black hair. L hummed in response, his lips vibrating against Raito's neck._

_The doctor hissed in delight. "L-sama, please…"_

"L?" The young police officer asked, tapping the camera. "You there?"

"Let him be, Matsuda," A man with a large afro said, "He's probably in the middle of an important thought process."

"Yes, Aizawa…" Matsuda slumped down in his seat.

"_Please what, Raito-kun?" L smirked and stopped touching the boy until he begged him. "Tell me what you want."_

_Raito squirmed as he was denied what he desired. "You bastard…"_

"_Flattery will not get Raito-kun anywhere," He teased, giving Raito a quick squeeze to his throbbing member. Raito moaned loudly._

"_L-sama, take me," He whispered breathlessly._

_L cupped a hand to his ear. "What was that, Raito-kun? I'm afraid I couldn't…"_

"_TAKE ME GODDAMNIT!!!"_

Aizawa sighed, growing agitated. The investigation team had important news to give L on the case, yet he was somewhere off in La-La land. He looked over at Watari, hoping L's mysterious worker would give them a hand. Instead, it appeared as if he were chuckling.

Well, if L can waste time doing nothing then so can he, "Hey Chief," Aizawa called over to Deputy Yagami, "How's your son doing these days?"

_Not exactly begging but…"Now that's more like it." L pounced on the boy, giving into his request. Raito panted as L ran his fingers farther down his body and sucked on his collarbone. _

"_Ahh!" Raito's eyes flew open when L's fingers reached a very sensitive part on his body. "L-sama!"_

_L's mouth left his collarbone for his member and licked it as he would a lollipop. Raito groaned loudly as his fingers scissored him and his mouth moved around him. _

"_L-sama…"_

"_Raito-kun…"_

"_L-sama…"_

"Raito? He's doing great, thank you for asking."

The Investigation Team suddenly heard a loud crash coming from L's computer speakers, followed by a soft groan.

"L?" Watari asked, speaking for the second time that day. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," The computerized voice responded, "I leaned over too far to retrieve a file. Please excuse me."

L mentally cursed at the Chief as he pulled himself back onto his chair. Even if he was his future father-in-law, he had no right to pull L out of that glorious daydream!

Speaking of glorious daydreams, L thought with a miserable sigh, this one was the seventy-third he's had of the doctor since he last saw him six days ago. They ranged from simple dates to heavy petting to chase kisses to full out sex with whips, chains, and one very naughty Raito Yagami.

Dear God what was that man doing to him?

"L, are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, Matsuda, please continue."

"Well, we got some insight on the suspect of the Doctor Fraud Cases." L frowned, a hatred stirring in his already painful stomach at the mere name of the case. It took all of his experience not to throw up or pass out at the sight of the gruesome pictures of young adults.

"Erochikku Isha," L commented with a slight twitch.

"Yes. He was just treated for a slight concussion and a sprained ankle, as said by Chief's source. And those-"

"-Are the same medical problems our murderer has," L interrupted, realizing where Matsuda was going. "During the little chase we put him through with the police he slammed his head on the sidewalk when he tripped on his sprained ankle, only a few moments before he escaped."

"We also picked up on a hint about Isha," Deputy Yagami said, "He is planning his next victim for next Monday. He's supposedly going to be at the Ageha."

"Ageha is a very big night club. We can easily loose him in such a large and crowded building. It will be easy for a skilled seducer like Isha to pick up one or maybe a couple of victims.

"I'm assigning homework," L ignored the groan from Matsuda, the confusion from Deputy Yagami and the angry look on Aizawa's face. He was relieved to have such a hard working member on his team like Mogi who never complained no matter what L threw at him. "First, I want you to come up with a good plan for next week regarding Isha's attempt to kidnap, cut up, and murder yet another victim. Second, I want a list of medical problems, severe enough for a doctor's professional examination, the longer the better. That is all. We will meet again on Wednesday."

The screen went black.

* * *

Watari wiped the sweat from his brows, smiling. Carrying thirty pounds of apples up ten flights of stairs wasn't as easy as people thought. He settled all five bags on the table, and then scolded himself as he remembered that he had left the strawberries in the car trunk. He muttered curses all the way down the stairs, grabbed the strawberries, and mumbled some more on the way up.

He opened the door to the kitchen and hollered, "Lawliet!"

The detective peaked around the corner very slowly, hiding part of his innocent masked face behind the wall, "Yes Watari?" He asked naively.

"Lawliet, where are the apples?"

"What apples?"

"The apples that were right here on the kitchen table."

"I did not see them."

"You are holding a piece of chocolate cake in your hand right now, are you not? The one I specifically told you not to touch?" L moved out in the open, with the evidence in his hand. He looked shamefully at the ground. "So if you were in the kitchen, then how did you miss thirty pounds of apples on the table? They were right in front of the refrigerator."

"I do not know, Watari."

"How did you possibly move thirty pounds of apples in the two minutes I was gone?" L shifted from one foot to the other. "_Well_?"

"I dropped them…" Watari rushed to the window to find only about half of the apples splattered among the pavement. "The homeless man took the majority of them. I am sure you are aware of the homeless man that lives beneath this window."

Indeed, Watari could clearly see the homeless man dancing around, arms full of the expensive apples Watari had bought and dragged up those flights of stairs.

"Lawliet…"

"Yes, Watari?"

"Give me that cake."

"But Watari… I need…"

"You do not need that cake. Give it here," L reluctantly handed over the cake and watched in horror as it was tossed out the window. The sound of the homeless man's cheers nearly made his eyes water. "The only thing you are allowed to eat for the rest of the day is fruit. I'm half tempted to throw you out the window to retrieve those apples."

"Well then, I guess I will starve today." L spun on his heel and hunched out of the room.

"Well, fine, starve!" Watari yelled at his back.

L ignored him and walked into the computer room. As he approached his computer desk, he quickly glanced over his shoulder. He dropped to his knees and pawed at the floor until he found the loose floor board. With a grin, he unlocked the secret hide away. He reached in and grabbed a handful of miniature chocolate bars.

"Starve, indeed," He popped one in his mouth.

* * *

Did you all get the gummy bear part? Gummy bear vitamins? Yes? I take those because adult vitamins are nasty.

I realized not too long ago that L's fake name is Hideki Ryuuga with Hideki being his first name and Ryuuga being his surname. In this story, it's the other way around. I'm too lazy to fix it so please just bear with it.

Review please! I threw in the dream scene in for you! So review!!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his Moto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: As mentioned in the first chapter, starting in this chapter, real medical problems will be addressed. Please understand that I am in no way making fun of anyone with these diseases. I have one of diseases and although I laugh at myself about it, I would never do that to anyone else. If you are offended you may talk to be about it but just keep in mind I am not trying to offend anyone. Thank you.

Thank you so much for the reviews! If I knew that I was posting on a day where the login would temporarily be out of order I wouldn't have updated that day. So thank you for still reviewing anyway! Keep them coming!

* * *

"Hideki-san, what a surprise," Yagami-sensei commented dryly as he walked through the door, only to find L sitting there a small smile resting on his lips.

"Doctor."

"What is it this time?"

"I seem to have gotten over my fever rather quickly, Yagami-sensei."

"Is that it? Just to tell me that you've gotten over a simple fever?"

"Yes, sensei. Isn't it a miracle?"

"Oh, yes, a miracle alright…"

"So, how is Yagami-sensei doing?"

"…Fine…"

"That is fantastic."

"I'm sure it is."

"Would you like a lollipop?"

"No."

"Nice weather, don't you agree?"

"Are you trying to make small talk?"

"Is it that bad?"

"Quite."

"Then Yagami-sensei will be the one to begin our next chat."

"What are you doing, Hideki-san?"

"Wasting time and money."

"No checkup?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little blood test for diabetes?"

"Most definitely not."

The doctor sighed and tossed his manila folder to the side. "If you're not here for a checkup, then are you here just to keep me company?" L nodded. "Well, I've been wanting to know why you're so fixated with coming to my office every Tuesday and I obviously don't have any other patients scheduled for today." Yagami-sensei sat gracefully on his rolling stool, one leg folded on the other. "I'm listening."

"Yagami-sensei wants to know why I've been in here for the past month?" L stretched and hopped off the examination table, slandering toward the doctor. Yagami-sensei raised a slender eyebrow in question but said nothing else. "I have a question for you, doctor…" L leaned forward, his arms wrapped around Yagami-sensei's butterscotch ice cream colored neck. His smirking mouth was no more than six inches away from those cotton candy colored lips. "Have you ever felt _attraction_ before?"

Wide eyed, the doctor tried to push his wheel stool backwards until he was out of L's grip but L had a good hold on his neck. "Hideki-san, this is highly inappropriate and I would appreciate it if you let go…"

"I would appreciate it if Yagami-sensei answered my question."

Yagami-sensei glared at him for a while, as if trying to have him break down before himself, but soon enough he sighed, "No, I can honestly say that I have never been attracted to anyone befo-"

L cut the doctor off with his lips. The kiss was chaste, more of a taste sample than anything else, like trying a small piece of fudge before buying a pound. But Yagami responded as if he was just molested with clothes ripped off by wandering hands. He flew out of his stool, falling clumsily onto the carpeted floor, crawling backwards until he hit the wall. He stood up, shaking. "W-what is the meaning of this?!"

L's smirk grew when the doctor panicked as he took a few steps closer. He could taste the sweet flavor of toffee lingering on his lips. He licked them, greedily trying to eat it all up before the taste left. Raito Yagami was as delicious as he tasted. "Yagami-sensei was curious as to why I have been visiting his office for the past four Tuesdays and why I have been blackmailing his other Tuesday scheduled patients. I simply answered that question."

"Y-you're attracted to me?" Yagami-sensei managed to stumble out as he regained control of his breathing.

"Why, yes, Yagami-sensei, I thought that was obvious from the first time we met." L deduced that being kissed and/or hit on by a patient of yours isn't something most doctors come across every day. Although, with Raito Yagami's looks, one would think it would happen nearly once or twice a week at the very least.

"How? You don't know the first thing about me!"

"Your name is Raito Yagami. You are twenty three years old. Your birthday is February 28th, 1986. You are roughly five feet and seven inches and weigh one hundred and nineteen pounds. You attended To-Oh, majoring in medical and minoring in criminal justice. Your father is the head of the NPA, your mother is a stay at home wife and your younger sister is currently in college studying Journalism. You live in Kirei Apartments on Third Street apartment number 311."

Yagami-sensei's mouth dropped for a split second before he recovered with an angry hiss, "You're stalking me. Where did you get that information?"

"I rather not say. Just think of it as an easy access," L mocked in a slightly playful, 'I know something you don't know!' tone.

"That information doesn't count! It's practically public knowledge. You don't know anything that goes on in my life, what makes me unique, my personality, or my interests. You can't possibly feel attraction toward me with such little information! You found all of your information by hacking into the NPA's files, didn't you? All NPA workers have files on their immediate family members."

"There is a good probability of that," L said, half paying attention to the words rapidly spilling from those cotton candy lips.

"Now that your act is up, what will you do?" Yagami-sensei asked, pushing himself off of the wall he has been using for support. "Will you leave me be and let my Tuesdays be filled again?"

"Oh no, _Raito-kun_," L responded, loving the way the doctor's caramel colored eye twitched as he referred to him with a familiar honorific. "The games have only just started. I shall be back this time next week, per usual." On his way out the door, L gave Raito a quick peck on his soft cheek and winked at him.

He chuckled under his breath as he heard the doctor curse loudly, being kissed unexpectedly for the second time in five minutes.

* * *

L tossed the reports in the air, completely aggravated. You would think that police officers would know a few good diseases, working with death and investigations. Apparently not.

He had asked his investigation team to bring him a list of medical reasons to see the doctor. He should have been more specific because these reasons were terrible.

Aizawa gave him a list of colds and sicknesses more susceptible to children than adults, obviously having a five year old and an infant at home. Deputy Yagami, who was also a parent, (obviously since it is his son who's driving L to give out such crazy assignments) gave him a list of children diseases and illnesses that are common in elderly people. L wasn't likely to get Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease at his age and, although it's nice that Deputy Yagami is worried about his wife, there is little chance of L getting breast cancer. Mogi wasn't much helpful either. He wrote down broken bones and torn ligaments, experiences, L guessed, from his time in the military and he did not feel like being confined to a wheelchair for a good six weeks.

L picked up the last report. He hadn't been planning on looking at Matsuda's at all, truth be told. He had figured he'd find at least ONE good medical problem from the others but the young detective was his last hope. Looking down at the list, L nearly choked on his lollipop.

It was genius!

It seemed Matsuda didn't have a good enough background with serious illnesses and diseases so the list looked as if he went onto the internet and found the most interesting ones he could find. Either way, L was impressed. L hopped off of the couch and made his way into the investigation room, snatching a brownie on the way. Picking at random, he booted his computer and started to research one of the diseases Matsuda had given him, a small smirk on his lips.

* * *

_L really wasn't too sure why he was in the doctor's office but he certainly wasn't complaining. With a reassuring glance at the 'Raito Yagami' plaques on the wall, he knew he was in the right place. He waited patiently, strolling around the familiar examination room. He opened the tall closet that stood a good three feet taller than him and searched, as if expecting to find something juicy like a lacy thong or a leather whip. Or better yet, cake. _

_With a disappointed shut of the doors, L turned to the cabinets. Surely, he thought as he pushed back a jar of cotton balls, there's got to be something in here! He rose to the tops of his toes, reaching into the far back corners that shouldn't have been touched in years. Although, as Raito Yagami would have it, even the corners of the cabinets were dust free, meaning this man had some serious OCD issues. _

_L was tempted to slam the cabinet doors shut but he figured that would give him no brownie points in the doctor's eyes. He smiled- brownies… _

_He closed the cabinet doors lightly and bit his thumb. He's been in here five minutes; Raito Yagami never takes more than five minutes to greet him. He slouched to the only means of escape and twisted the doorknob, finding it locked from the outside. L's mouth fell open as he pulled again and again, yanking wildly at the knob. The doorknob did not budge. Throwing his arms up in the air, L jumped onto the examination table and curled up into a ball. If this was a dream, he'll wake up if he fell asleep, right? _

_He closed his eyes tightly as if the tighter they were, the faster he would fall asleep. His active mind betrayed his beliefs and he stared at the wall for a good three minutes. Gold flashed to his left and L averted his eyes that way. The artificial luminous of the lights shone brilliantly upon the gold outline of the plaque and burned L's eyes. He stared blankly at the plaques until his irises could no longer take the pain and closed them. The image of the gold tablet was engraved in his mind's eye and in his created darkness he gazed at them. The name Raito Yagami stood out among the other characteristics of the plaque. _

"_Raito Yagami," He whispered, testing the feel of the name, "Raito Yagami…" He smiled faintly, loving the way the name just rolled off of his tongue. "Raito Yagami…"_

"_You called?" _

_L's scrambled into a sitting position at the sound of the sultry and seductive voice. The door was wide open and leaning against its frame was a loose tied, unbuttoned, messy haired, lust eyed Raito Yagami. L gulped loudly, his eyes drifting lower._

_Perfectly tanned sculpted chest, perked pink nibbles, and lean abs, all screaming for him to touch them, taunt them, tease them, pleasure them… _

_Raito ran a hand through his already perfectly messy hair, eyes glimmering dangerously, "Back so soon, L?" His voice was like liquid chocolate._

_L's voice failed him, his mind jumping five steps ahead to where he tore off the rest of the shirt along with the tan pants and underwear. Raito smiled devilishly at him, slowly sauntering toward him, his pristine doctor coat billowing sensuously behind him. His mouth grew drier the closer the doctor got. Soon he stood right before him. _

_He bent forward, the sides of his button up falling from his chest. Raito looked up underneath those dark lashes of his, "Do you need a check up?"_

_L nodded rapidly, torn between hugging his knees to his chest and closing the short distance between them. Raito answered for him, threading his hand in L's spiky hair. "What's wrong, baby?" He cooed softly, his smirk giving off the sense of lust. "You feel cold. Do you need to be warmed up?" L nodded again, his eyes growing wide as the red tie was ripped from the gorgeous neck to his own. _

_Raito pulled him closer by the two ends of the tie, their lips millimeters from collision. "Well, you've got two chooses." His dry mouth was quickly replenished by drool. "You could either have a blanket or a heat pack. Take your pick."_

_L growled, "For the love of…" before grabbing a hold of the white collar and tugging. Raito's lips collided onto his own. He could feel the doctor's coy smile as he responded. They kissed hungrily, as if kisses were their only supply of food and they've been starved for their whole lives. Their tongues danced around the other's, giving off wanton moans here and there. _

_Raito was first to break off, panting like he had just run a marathon. He had a tired smile but lively caramel eyes. "For a sick patient, you sure have an active kiss."_

"_Who said I'm sick?" L leaned forward again, pressing his lips to the doctor's warm neck, "Maybe I just want to see you. Maybe I just want to feel you."_

_He groaned softly in between pants, "Doctors aren't supposed to be with their patients…"_

"_I don't see you fighting me off," L retorted with a loud suckle to the artery. _

_There was a light push to his chest and L fell back onto the examination table. Raito leaned over him, all doubts vanished. "You're right, L. I'm not fighting you off." He jumped on, straddling his hips. He arched his back like a cat, pawing at L's chest. "I bet you're not used to this."_

"_A very delicious doctor crawling on me? No, I cannot say that this is common."_

"_Well," He purred. His lips were next to his ear, blowing hot air into it. "We're just going to have to make this a regular occurrence now, aren't we?"_

"Master L?"

L found himself on the floor, head crushed under his weight and his feet tangling close to his nose. There was a hard pressure on his back. He glanced up. "Watari, you appear to be upside down."

"No, Master L, it is you who is upside down." The pressure was off his back as Watari stabilized his computer chair.

He frowned as he flipped right side up, the glorious details and emotions vanishing from his memory quickly. He crouched in his chair and flicked the mouse, awaking the computer from its sleep stage.

"You looked quite peaceful as you slept, Master L," Watari said, filling up a cup of coffee, "Did you dream pleasantly?"

"I did," L muttered watching the splash of sugar meeting the coffee.

* * *

On Friday, L finally got a chance to look at the plans regarding Erochikku Isha and the case. Seducing the young doctor has a bigger importance than catching a highly dangerous murderer on the L scale, apparently. Matsuda, getting an A plus on the medical homework, bombed the planning exercise. He had handed in a poorly planned out scheme, written in quick and scrawny kanji. He had most likely forgotten about it, being too occupied with the first assignment, and quickly conjured something up on the subway to work Wednesday morning. Luckily, L had three other professionals to fall back on. Aizawa and Deputy Yagami had similar ideals in their plans. Both used outside waiting cops- too obvious for someone as intelligent as Isha.

L shrugged at its plainness. He didn't want to disappoint his fans by not using a mind blowing plan with the sound effects, explosions, death, and drama that were his signature.

He picked up Mogi's typed out scheme and smiled. This was more his style.

On Saturday morning, L called the Investigation Team over to tell them about their plan for Monday. They settled down into their seats as Watari set up the laptop. "You will now hear L speak." He announced as the black screen flashed to white with the L symbol.

"Good evening gentlemen," L's computer altered voice said, "After going over each of your Erochikku Isha schemes carefully for the past four days, I have decided that Mogi-san's plan would be most beneficial. Good work, Mogi-san." The quiet man nodded in reply. "I have altered it just a tad and I have a good feeling that this will work."

* * *

Very early Tuesday morning, around two or three in the morning, anyone wandering the streets had to watch out for a flying laptop. They looked up briefly before returning to their drunken toddle. L glared out of the window, taking satisfaction at the loud crash from eleven stories below. Watari was quick to enter the room with a tray of coffee and large strawberry shortcake. He placed the entire cake on the desk with to a fork and stepped away as L attacked his dessert.

"I don't understand, Watari," L grumbled, stabbing the fork into the cake. "Everything was perfect." He shoved the fork in his mouth, swallowing the cake without tasting it at all. "Perfect!"

"We underestimated Erochikku Isha," Watari consoled.

"Goddamnit, of course we did. It was going along so splendidly until that ruddy policeman got tripped up with the diversion Isha set up. I know that man was smirking at me as he limped away on that sprained ankle, carrying the unconscious girl on his back. His concussion obviously cleared up." L took in two more forkfuls of cake, glaring at the window he threw the computer out of. "What are we going to do now, Watari?" He asked in a rare moment of weakness. "He disappeared with her. Those brainless cops won't be able to figure out where they're heading. I fail to see the point of trying- she'll show up tomorrow dead." L grabbed his sugar saturated coffee and downed it in one go. "I want to get inside his head, figure out who's the next victim, where's he going and why he's doing this. He's so… ARGH!" L growled, failing to come up with an appropriate adjective and settled, instead, with stabbing his fork onto the desktop.

Watari watched in frustration, paying more attention to the food going in L's mouth rather than the words coming out. If only L would listen to the doctor and eat his apples. Watari wanted that more than anything- even more than putting Isha behind bars.

He had seen the apples he had given L stashed away, rotting, in a place where the detective thought he would never find them. L eating his apples would result in him getting better; getting better would mean there would be no background support to his weekly visits and no weekly visits would mean L wouldn't win over the doctor's heart. He didn't quite understand the fixed up theory behind it but L surely got the message quite clearly.

And now, with Erochikku Isha getting away, L was distressed and the only thing that would make him feel better would be his precious desserts. Watari was at a dead end. He only prayed that the young doctor would accept L fast; L's health depended on it.

* * *

Seven hours later, L was sitting in Doctor Yagami's office, his mood still quite sour albeit it dimmed up because of who he was about to see. He waited all of forty seconds before the man of the hour all but flung open the door.

"Raito-kun not feeling above the weather today?" L mused, noticing Raito's frown, knitted eyebrows and frustration in his molted caramel eyes. He deduced that Raito must be as gleeful as L was feeling about now.

"No, I'm not and I appreciate it if this meeting is quick and painless. No touching," Raito growled, sitting down on his wheel stool, keeping a good distance away from the detective. "Also, please refrain from using my given name. I am your doctor and you will address me as such, Hideki-san."

"Ah, but, Raito-kun, doctor or not, I feel as if you are my first and only friend. I was under the impression that friends call each other by their given names," L smiled wiry.

"Have you eaten your apples yet?" Raito asked, expertly ignoring L's previous statement.

"No, of course not."

Raito rolled his caramel eyes, "I should have known. Well, what has Hideki-san magically and mysteriously caught since the last time I saw him?"

"I appear to have Fibromyalgia, Raito-kun," L mused. "I have developed deep muscle pain with painful trigger points or tender points and morning stiffness. Some other common symptoms include anxiety, fatigue, headaches, pain, numbness..."

"Why does it sound like you went onto the website WEBMD and memorized some of the symptoms?"

"That would be because that is what I did. Raito-kun must have the ability to read minds. I am truly envious."

"I would write you off as faking but I have an interesting theory that you may not be lying with your back so bent out of shape," Raito said, shifting his weight in his seat, "Bet you didn't see that coming, now did you?"

"Does this mean I get to take off my shirt?" L asked, slightly hopeful.

"No."

"Does this mean that Raito-kun will massage my aching back?"

"No."

"Does this mean Raito-kun will interact with me in some relieving stress exercises?"

"No."

"Boo."

"I will, however, prescribe you to some medications…"

"No."

"No? Then what do you except me to do? And any of the previously mentioned suggestions do not apply." He added before L could open his mouth to propose more dirty ideas.

"Physical therapy? With the help of my lovely friend and doctor, Raito-kun, of course. I heard of some lovely exercises, with Raito-kun straddling my back, kneading it like I was dough for a batch of cookies…"

"No."

"Boo."

"Give it to me straight, Hideki-san, do you actually believe you have Fibromyalgia? If you do, I will put you on medication. If you do not and lie to me, the medication could have some bad side effects."

"What would you do if I say I do not believe I have it?"

"Throw you out."

"That does not seem very pleasant."

"Neither does feigning illness to a doctor."

"Touché."

L reached the door and turned around, "Do I get a kiss goodbye-?"

SLAM

"… Is that a no?"

* * *

Did you catch the commercial? For WEBMD? Yeah, I was on there religiously while I wrote this. If you watch the Biggest Loser you would know that they have a lot of commercials inside the show. It's so annoying! But I did it right now so what does that make me…?

NO MORE USING YAGAMI-SENSEI YAY!!! 'Cause if you haven't noticed, I'm using Raito now instead of… yeah, never mind…

I went to the doctor's today which is why I wanted to update today. It was for a physical for track (please kill me now) and I walked in there like, "WOAH WHERE IS RAITO-SENSEI?!!?!?" But he wasn't there (duh) and I bombed my eyesight test 'cause I wore my glasses today instead of my newly updated contacts and I had to get two shots and… no one cares, right? Okay…

Yes so please leave a review, I would like that very much. Because you all love me so much. Yes. Please and thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his Moto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: As mentioned in the first chapter, starting in this chapter, real medical problems will be addressed. Please understand that I am in no way making fun of anyone with these diseases. I have one of diseases and although I laugh at myself about it, I would never do that to anyone else. If you are offended you may talk to be about it but just keep in mind I am not trying to offend anyone. Thank you.

Once again, thank you for the feedback! This chapter is rather short and I apologize but it's still just as good. ^^

* * *

L had given the Investigation Team a week off of work to relax, spend time with their families, recharge their mind, and to rethink ideas to capture Erochikku Isha. Watari had been pleased that L had decided to take a week off from work as well. He didn't mind that this week would be spent on working toward the doctor's heart, as long as L remained as stress free as possible. He also hoped he might be able to feed him some apples today.

Watari poked his head into the computer room where L worked diligently on his latest disease. "Are you hungry, Master Ryuuzaki?"

"Yes. Would you also refill my coffee, Watari?" L asked around the lollipop in his mouth without turning around or pausing in his work.

"Of course," Watari left for the kitchen and returned about two minutes later with a tray. He placed the tray on a table behind L's work station and grabbed the coffee pot. He refilled the coffee and dropped seven sugar cubes in.

"Watari, I need more sugar," L said before he could leave for his dessert.

"I put in your usual amount."

"No, you added seven sugar cubes while you know I always take my coffee with ten sugar cubes and my tea with thirteen. Do not forget the cream."

Disappointed that he was caught, Watari sighed and dropped in the remaining three sugar cubes and poured a half a cup of cream into the coffee. He replaced the coffee pot on the tray and grabbed L's dessert. He placed it next to L along with a fork. Watari turned around quickly, grabbed the tray, and tried to escape out of the room before L would notice.

He had hoped for too much though.

"Watari."

The elder man froze. "Yes, Master Ryuuzaki?"

"This is apple pie."

"Yes, it is."

"It contains apples."

"Yes, it does."

"You know I will not eating anything with apples for the time being."

"Your health isn't getting any better with you having a restraint on apples, L."

"I am aware of that, Watari, but, making Raito Yagami mine is just a small price I will have to pay for now."

"Will you consider anything other than apples at least?"

L thought about it for a moment. "Yes. I will have some chocolate covered strawberries."

Watari sighed. It was a progress, a small one, but indeed a progress.

* * *

He glanced quickly at the computer monitors to find L working diligently at the computer, occasionally stealing a bite of fudge in between page loads. With a reassuring nod, he pulled an untraceable phone out of his vest pocket and hit the speed dial. He watched the monitor intensely as he listened to the phone dial. Soon his nerves were put to rest.

"Yagami Clinic! Misa-Misa speaking!"

"Hello, Miss Amane. This is Watari Hideki and I wish to speak to Yagami-sensei."

"Of course, Hideki-san, please just hold on a minute!" He heard a snicker as she left the phone and a loud whisper of: "It's _his_ grandfather!" followed by another laugh.

"Hello, Hideki-san, this is Doctor Yagami speaking." His voice sounded so cool and soothing Watari had to hold in his smile at the picture of L falling over such a tone.

"Good day, Yagami-sensei, I hope I am not troubling you at all."

"No, not at all, Hideki-san. I was just about to take my lunch break. I've got time."

"Well, I was wondering if there was something I could do to help poor Ryuuga in his attempts at achieving perfect health. Every apple I buy turns up in the homeless man's stomach before I am able to stash it away in the refrigerator. I want to help him but he declines any help at all. Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, your grandson is one of the most stubborn people I have ever met. I fear he may have diabetes but he refuses to take any blood work and his responses to my questions are incredibly vague. So if you are willing to do some snooping around and get answers to my questions, that would be most appreciated."

"Of course, Yagami-sensei. What are these questions you need answered?" He asked, pen and paper set.

* * *

His smile was bright… a little too bright. L observed his friend carefully as his grin nearly blinded his eyes. Watari held up a package of fudge, almost like a peace offering. "I bought you fudge, Master L. I know how much you love peanut butter chocolate fudge."

L did not take the present from his hand, "What is it that you require, Watari? I am quite busy so if you would please…"

"You're finished already?" The elder man asked in surprise, noticing an empty plate. "L, you're eating a lot lately. More than usual, even. Should I be concerned?"

"Watari… there were only three éclairs on the plate and that was the only thing I've had all morning. It's only seven a.m."

"Then what's this plate doing here?"

"That was yesterday's cupcake platter. The plate was still full when you retreated to bed and never cleaned up."

Watari frowned, "Well, what about drinking? You seem to be downing a lot of coffee."

"I need the caffeine to be able to pull off nearly twenty two hours of work, Watari. This hasn't been much of a change in the past fifteen years." L hopped off his chair, peering close into the old man's face, "You talked to Raito-kun, didn't you?"

"Pardon?"

L's eye narrowed, "You know perfectly well what I am speaking of, Watari. You called Ratio Yagami and he told you to watch for symptoms of diabetes because he knows I am not doing them on my own."

"That is not the case, Master L. _I_ searched online for possible symptoms of diabetes because _I_ know you are not doing them on your own." His raven haired charge frowned and slouched out of the room, scratching his left arm. "Where are you going, Lawliet?"

"Bathroom," he slammed the door.

* * *

There was no warning to when Raito would open the door. He would give no knock, no holler. L had to listen closely to the sound of his footsteps to get the timing perfect. Hiding behind the door, L held his ear to the wall.

"It's Hideki-kun, Raito-sensei," Came a high pitched female voice.

"Hideki-san, Misa-chan. Please use formality when speaking to or about him," Raito corrected.

"I figured since he's here so often, it would be okay to call him with kun. He calls you Raito-kun."

"And that's a habit I'm trying to break him of doing," Raito sighed, "I will see him now; get my aspirin ready."

Misa giggled, "Sure thing, _Raito-kun_." L heard Raito groaned and he started to walk- his footsteps light and slow. They stopped in front of his door and L got ready.

"Hello, _again_, Hideki-san AAAH!!" Raito shrieked as a hidden L flew from his spot, tackling the doctor.

"Raito-kun!" L said, smiling down at the shocked doctor who he had pinned underneath him. Raito started to splutter, his extensive vocabulary failing him for the first time in a very long time. "How are you?"

"Wha…?"

L cuddled into his chest. "This is a very comfortable position, Raito-kun. We should practice this more often. I feel as if I could just fall asleep on you…"

"What? No! Get off!"

"No, I don't think I will."

"I'll give you to the count of five to get off of me."

"Raito-kun is not very fun…"

"One… two… three… four… five!"

But it was too late; L had fallen asleep on him, curled up on his chest, hugging his waist. Raito sighed when he saw the content smile on L's lips. "Misa-chan? Could you come here for a second?

* * *

L woke up feeling more refreshed than he had felt in a good three months, about four days before the Fraud Doctor Cases reared its ugly head. He was warm and comfortable, meaning either one: He didn't fall asleep on his computer chair for once and actually made it to the couch; two: He had fallen asleep on the computer chair but Watari moved him and covered him with a blanket; or three: L was in heaven. Those were all unlikely since he remembered arriving at the doctors before he fell asleep. Well, if that's true, maybe he was in heaven because L wouldn't put it pass Raito to kill him before he could put his hands on him again.

There was also the chance Raito wasn't as mean as his demeanor described him as. Maybe he tossed L in one of the extra rooms and left him with a blanket until L was awake and ready for his appointment.

L yawned and slowly opened his eyes. The sun bothered his pupils and he closed them tightly, groaning. At least he knew he didn't sleep for more than nine hours. He briefly wondered where Raito was but he didn't want to open his eyes again to find out. Instead, L figured five more minutes of relaxation would do his body and mind wonders. He squirmed around on his comfortable bed and nuzzled his head onto his pillow.

"Don't go back to sleep, I know you're awake."

L's eyes popped open but he immediately closed them again with another groan of pain. "Ngh… Raito-kun…?"

"Yes?"

"Mhhm… How long was I out…?"

"Two hours." The time really didn't click in L's head and he yawned again, nestling his cheek into the pillow. He felt fingers play with his hair and L purred. "Don't fall back asleep. Who knows how long you will be out this time."

L obeyed and very slowly opened his eyes to regulate to the light. When his eyes were adjusted, he glanced around the room, still lying down. He couldn't find Raito but he could hear him breathing and feel his fingers in his hair. "Where are you, Raito-kun?"

"Here" L's eyes widened when he felt his bed move. His head snapped up and he was face to face with Raito. He blinked. Raito stared.

"… Oh. Good morning."

"Would you like to get up now?" Raito asked, unthreading his fingers from L's hair.

L internally frowned at the movement but his facial expression didn't change. "No, not particularly. Raito-kun is quite the comfortable bed, much more so than my own at home." The time suddenly clicked in L's head. "Did Raito-kun really hold me for two hours as I slept?"

Raito flushed softly and glanced away. "You look as if you never get enough sleep with those dark circles under your eyes. As your doctor, your health is important to me and resting is a key player in good health. So I let you sleep."

"Raito-kun wasn't obligated to be my bed and pillow. He could just as easily chucked me into a spare room and leave me there. Unless…" L moved in closer and whispered into Raito's ear. "You like me on top of you."

Raito punched his shoulder but not enough to knock him off of him. His butter cream colored face turned into strawberry ice cream. "Keep dreaming, Hideki-san. My nurses and I tried to pry you off of me but you had a deadlock around my waist. They handed me a blanket as I carried you into the resting room."

L smiled at him and lowered his head into the crook of his neck. He smelt his cologne, a blend of apples and flowers. "You know, Raito-kun," He said. "I had a dream of the two of us sitting under an apple tree, surrounded by a valley of flowers. I could smell the ripe apples and the fresh flowers and thought, what a delicious and girly smell. Now I realize that I smelled you in my dream."

Raito actually pushed him off of him this time.

* * *

"How many hours do you sleep per night?"

"I believe the question should be: How many hours do you sleep per week?"

After the little sleeping incident, Raito had ushered L back into the normal examination room. On the way there, the blonde nurse giggled and her brunette companion covered her hand over her mouth as if to hide her smile from the doctor. L had smiled at the both of them, making them giggle more. Raito had rolled his caramel eyes in response and pushed L harder.

Raito looked up from the notes he was taking. "That bad?" L nodded and Raito wrote some more, "I'm guessing you already know you have insomnia."

"I've had it since I was ten, I believe."

"How many hours per week?"

"Fifteen normally, seventeen if I'm lucky."

Raito mouthed 'wow' as he wrote. "I believe this is the first time you've actually came to me with an illness, if you don't count the first time."

"I had a fever once," L protested.

"Yes, but that is because you purposely stayed out in the rain. Now, do you know what might cause your insomnia? Stress? Depression?"

L bit his thumb. "My job requires me to work day and night and I developed the theory that the longer I sleep, the less time I will have to work. My job can be stressful sometimes, yes, but I enjoy it. I have been working since the age of nine and that theory came to me around that time."

"What is your occupation?" Raito asked as he continued to take notes.

"I'm not at liberty to say," L responded with a smug smirk, "If I told you, I would have to kill you."

Raito shot him a look as if to say, 'Don't flatter yourself with the thought of me actually caring'. "Would you like me to prescribe medicine? You seem to not want it, if you believe sleeping will keep you away from your job."

"I would not prefer to take drugs, no." L paused. "Although, I had slept better on top of Raito-kun than I ever had on a mattress. Maybe Raito-kun alone will cure me. Raito-kun should sleep with me every night!"

There was a punch to his face, knocking L onto the floor. "You know, Raito-kun, doctors shouldn't hit their patients like that. I'm pretty sure that you could get sued for that. You're not acting very professional."

"I wouldn't have to hit you if you weren't so goddamn flirty! You're scolding me for not acting very professional when you're trying to get me into bed with you. Having an affair with your patient isn't professional at all! And you're trying to encourage it!" L briefly wondered if he should tell Raito that his caramel eyes turned into delicious hot chocolate when he was angry.

"It's not an affair unless you are dating and or married to someone else while with me. And Raito-kun is not dating and or married."

"How would you know that?"

"You are not dating because I heard Misa-chan mention you are single and you are not married as, one you are single and two; it you are not listed as married on the NPA database," L smiled at the doctor's frown. "And besides, if you were to fall in love with me, why should some little thing like professionalism keep you from happiness?"

"Happiness? Because of _you_?" Raito snorted. "Please. You cause me more stress than any of my other patients and they're quite the handful. And you can forget about me falling in love with a guy who's only here for sex."

If Raito hadn't been busy taking notes at that time, he would have noticed the flash of frustration, pain and sorrow in L's usually vacant eyes.

* * *

Oh Raito-sensei, you heart breaker. If you hadn't noticed I am a fan of Watari. He doesn't have a big enough part and before you know it, he's gone! So here's to you Watari, you awesome old man!

In recent news I am now part of the track team. And I hate every second of it. I have to be the WORST runner there. I used to run a lot but I'm out of practice and it's just terrible. But please keep rooting for my getting better. Cause I could really use it…

Please review with any questions, concerns, comments or random love confessions!


	5. Chapter 5

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his Moto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: As mentioned in the first chapter, starting in this chapter, real medical problems will be addressed. Please understand that I am in no way making fun of anyone with these diseases. I have one of diseases and although I laugh at myself about it, I would never do that to anyone else. If you are offended you may talk to be about it but just keep in mind I am not trying to offend anyone. Thank you.

Keep the review coming, baby! I read each one with a smile! Thank you! It makes me feel better that I'm not the only one suffering due to the evils of track. This chapter is rather short but it has a plot twist!! (oh no!) No, it's a good plot twist. It's barely even a plot twist more like a fun little random thing I threw in at the end that's essential to the plot.

* * *

Matsuda looked at the computer for the third time in the past thirty seconds. The computer was on, the screen was bright and the black 'L' insignia was a bold contrast to the white background. It was nothing out of the ordinary yet Matsuda couldn't help but think there was something wrong.

He looked around at his coworkers to find them all busy at work and Watari hung in the background like a shadow, watching them. Matsuda gulped and cautiously walked over toward the computer. "L-L?" He asked quietly. When he got no reply, he asked again. "L?"

After a short silence, Matsuda heard a small shuffling sound coming from the speakers. "Yes, Matsuda-san?"

"I was wondering if you are okay. You seem… depressed. I know that seems kind of hard to understand since, well, I can't see you but, oh, I don't know, I just…"

"No, thank you, Matsuda-san," L's computerized voice said, "I haven't been feeling up to par, you are correct. You have very good emotional skills, Matsuda-san. I apologize for making you worry. Please do not concern yourself with me."

"O-okay. Well, I hope you feel better soon, L."

"Thank you, Matsuda-san."

* * *

_L hummed under his breath, staring forcefully at the closed door no more than twenty feet away. He toes twitched as he inhaled the delicious aroma. He could hear the pans clattering on the counter top and the loud shrill of the mixer. He shifted anxiously in his seat, drooling with anticipation. Just that small door separated him from Heaven._

_After twenty minutes of fidgets, moans, complaints, squirms, and hair pulling, he heard the unlatch of the door lock. With neck breaking speed, L zoomed past the door into the kitchen. His radar focused on the fresh-out-of-the-oven cake with vanilla frosting, strawberries and chocolate sauce. He jumped, reaching forward when he was knocked down to the floor._

_He rubbed his head, frowning up at the man above him, "Raito-kun is so cruel to me."_

"_Cruel? I made you a cake!" _

"_Raito-kun only made me a cake because he was rude to me."_

_Raito sighed, turning his back to his boyfriend on the floor, finishing icing the cake, "I said I was sorry, okay? If baking a cake means more to you than 'I'm sorry' then I'll bake as many cakes as you want."_

"_I need twenty cakes then," L said, arising from the floor, "Twenty cakes and Raito-kun will be forgiven."_

"_Let's start with one cake, shall we?" He growled, moving the cake from the counter to the table. He placed a plate and a fork where L normally sat. He took a seat across the table and watched L slowly make his way to the chair. _

_He looked at him, asking silently if he were allowed to continue. Raito nodded and L lunged for the fork. He ate the chocolate cake as if he only had three seconds left to live. Bite after bite after bite. As he shoveled the dessert down his throat, he realized his boyfriend was being awfully quite for once. L looked up to see solemn eyes watching him half gazed._

"_Raito-kun?" Said boy snapped out of his thoughts. "Would you like a bite? It is quite rude of me not to offer."_

_He quickly shook his head, "No, I made it for you. It would be rude to imply."_

_L nodded and continued to eat but he was distracted by the return on Raito's somber mood. "Raito-kun?"_

"_You didn't believe those words I said, do you L?" He asked, "You know that I wasn't serious, that I would never actually mean those terrible things."_

_L frowned, the poor boy looked so distressed over it, "Raito-kun, I know you better than that. I am aware of the words that come out of your pretty little mouth. I can tell which are lies and which are the truth. I know what you said yesterday was a lie."_

_Raito snapped his eyes up, "Then why were you ignoring me? You seemed genuinely upset. That's why I apologized all those times and slaved over that cake."_

"_And it is a very good cake and it was a relief to hear Raito-kun say words that never leaves his mouth as truth. I will admit, hearing those words, despite the fact that I knew they were a lie, shocked me. They made me wonder how I would act or feel if they weren't. It's not a pleasant thing, Raito-kun."_

"_L…"_

_He leaned across the table, brushing his lips to the others. Raito sat in shock, staring at the spot where L's white sweater leaned into the cake. _

"_I'm glad you lie, Raito-kun._

L was startled awake to the clatter of a dish. He looked up to see Watari smiling down at him, "Have a good nap, Master L?"

He nodded, "It was pleasant, Watari." He noticed the piece of cake next to his mouse, "It's freshly baked."

"It is. Did you smell the cake in your dream?"

"I did…" L picked up the fork and shoveled down the piece of chocolate cake with vanilla icing, strawberries, and chocolate sauce.

"You look more joyful than yesterday," Watari noted and L nodded.

* * *

The next day Matsuda was proud to say that L was back in his normal attitude. Whatever L was upset about yesterday, he had obviously gotten over. Matsuda liked to think that it was all his doing.

"Deputy Yagami," L said. "Have you gotten any new information regarding Erochikku Isha from your resource?"

Deputy Yagami shook his head. "No, Isha is trying to lay under the radar, it appears. I can't find anything about him."

L bit the inside of his cheek. "Isha is not very skilled at leaving clues around the crime scene. But I want to check. Mogi-san and Aizawa-san, will you two go down to the Ageha and the warehouse we found young Miss Suzuki Toa and look for clues?" They nodded, grabbed their coats and left. "That leaves Deputy Yagami and Matsuda-san. Deputy Yagami, I want you to call your resource and find more information." Yagami nodded and left the room.

"What about me, L?" Matsuda asked. "What should I do?"

"Matsuda-san, I have a very important job for you to do. Watari." Watari stepped forward and handed Matsuda a note card. "I need you to go to the location on the card. Tell the lady with brown and pink hair the name, 'Ryuuga'. She'll know what to do."

"Yes, sir!" Matsuda bowed and quickly ran out of the room, grinning with pride of his important job.

Watari snickered as he watched the boy nearly skip out of the office and down the stairs. "You're cruel, L."

"Yes, I suppose I am."

* * *

Matsuda ran all the way to his destination. It was close to the NPA building, luckily, but he was still nearly out of breath by the time he got there. He looked up at the building, confused. "This can't be…" Matsuda looked down at the card to verify the address. He wasn't wrong. Shrugging, he walked into the shop and a little bell chimed as the door opened.

A girl with brown and pink hair poked her head out from around a shelf and smiled at him. "Good day! Welcome to Pink Petal Flower Bouquet! May I help you?"

"Uh… Ryuuga?"

"Oh! Yes! Of course! Please hold on Ryuuga-san's servant!" The girl said before disappearing into the back.

"Servant…?" Matsuda wondered.

The girl came back with a large bouquet of flowers of many vibrant colors of pink, purple, orange, and green in a purple vase with a pink bow tied around it. The girl took out a small card and stuck it inside the bouquet. "Here is Ryuuga-san's order. Is this acceptable?"

"Uh, yes…?"

"Oh good! Please then do not worry about anything else. I will make sure this is delivered! Please send my regards to Ryuuga-san."

"Oh, yes, of course!"

The girl bowed and returned into the backroom with the flower arrangement. Matsuda left quickly and returned to the NPA building.

"Did Matsuda-san do as I asked?" L said as Matsuda entered the room. He nodded and returned to work, deciding it was better not to ask about L's personal life. "Very good, thank you."

* * *

Misa and Kiyomi were laughing hysterically. Seriously hysterically. As in Misa was rolling on the floor, wheezing, because she couldn't get any air to her lungs, while Kiyomi, normally refined and knew better than to cause a scene, banged her fist into the desk, tears pouring from her eyes. The patients quietly snuck away from the nurses' window and hid in the corner in the opposite side of the room.

Pfft. What scary, macho criminals they are.

Just six minutes ago, a flower delivery man had waltzed in with a huge bouquet of what Misa and Kiyomi considered to be the most beautiful flower arrangement they've ever seen. As they fought over whose it belonged to ("It's mine!" "Who would send you flowers, you bitch?" "Many people love Misa! Nobody likes stupid Kiyomi!"), the delivery man asked politely where Raito Yagami was. Stunned, Misa and Kiyomi answered that he was busy with a patient. The delivery man smiled at them and handed them the bouquet, asking them if they would give it to Raito Yagami. The girls, still in shock, nodded as the man waltzed back out. Misa carefully opened the card and burst out laughing, reading from who it was from and shoved it in her friend's face.

Six minutes later, they were still laughing.

After Raito's appointment had finished up and the fidgety looking guy left (more like running as if the room was going to collapse), he took notice of the bouquet. "Who does this belong to?" He smirked at the girls, nudging Kiyomi in the side with his elbow. "Who's the lucky guy, Misa-chan? Kiyomi-chan?"

Misa and Kiyomi looked at each other briefly and cracked up laughing again. Raito dropped his smirk. "All right, what's going on?"

"They're for you, sugar muffin!" Misa jested.

"Somebody must really think you're delicious!" Kiyomi joined in. Frowning, Raito grabbed the note and opened it.

"_Raito-kun has such a delicious ass; I cannot wait to taste it. Raito-kun makes me feel lighter than angel food cake. Raito-kun is sweeter than any icing I've ever licked. For you, my eye candy._

_Love,_

_Ryuuga Hideki"_

Raito stared, mouth agape at the card. Misa looked closely at the bouquet. "Hey, Raito-sensei, I've seen this flower arrangement before. It's called Eye Candy."

* * *

Tuesday morning, L wore his most comfortable clothes (not that anyone would be able to notice the difference) and eagerly jumped into the limo. "What is your plan for today, Master Ryuuzaki?" Watari asked, following L into the car and roared up the engine.

"That, my dear Watari, is a secret and you will no doubt hear about it soon." Watari chuckled in response, thinking how different L became after meeting Raito Yagami. When did L start calling him 'dear Watari'?

Watari pulled into the doctor's parking lot a little while later and L almost couldn't wait for the car to stop before throwing the door open. Knowing there wouldn't be any other patients that day, L jumped into the plain room he always met Raito in and waited impatiently like a dog would with his master.

Not before long, the door opened revealing quite the angry Raito with fuming hot chocolate colored eyes. L waved at him, pretending he didn't know the reason the doctor was so upset. "Good day, Raito-kun! How are you?"

"Hideki-san, why on earth did you send me those ridiculous flowers?"

"Did Raito-kun not enjoy his flowers? I thought they were quite lovely. Hmm… I knew I should have sent you a box of chocolates with them. I apologize, Raito-kun. Next time I will try harder."

"Next time?! There will be no next time! I don't want any chocolates! I don't want any flowers! I don't want anything from you except a healthy record. Why did you send them?" A vein on Raito's forehead popped.

"I just wanted to show Raito-kun how much he means to me," L said, slightly pouting his lips, looking as if he was just mugged. "I don't understand why Raito-kun would reject such a thoughtful…"

"And embarrassing."

"… and sincere present from his favorite patient."

"Oh, yes, of course," Raito snorted, "Now what brings my 'favorite' patient…?"

"Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are like hot chocolate when you're mad?"

"Why are you ignoring my question?"

"Or has anyone informed you of your butter cream colored skin? It looks tasty enough to eat."

"Okay, you're creeping me out again, Hideki-san. Would you answer my…?"

"Your lips are a lovely shade, did you know that? They look like cotton candy but taste like toffee."

"Hideki-san! Would you stop? I will not tolerate…"

"Surely Raito-kun must see the beauty of his honey colored hair! It reminds me of the honey I put in my tea each…" He stopped, dead cold, eyes widening.

L let out a small yelp as his arms, legs, chest and neck went stiff. Raito looked at him, concerned. "Hideki-san? Are you…" L cried out again as he fell from the examination table. Raito rushed forward and caught the falling detective. "Hideki-san? Hideki-san?" L's body went into a conversion of twitches. Raito grabbed his stethoscope and pressed it to L's chest. At that time, L's twitches gradually slowed into nothing and L laid completely still in Raito's arms.

L blinked once, twice, before looking up at the doctor. "Raito-kun…? What happened?"

"You really need to research some more, Hideki-san," Raito smirked as he pushed L off of his lap. "That was the worse act of Epilepsy I've ever seen."

"Whatever does Raito-kun mean?"

"Don't fool around with me, Hideki-san. You don't have Epilepsy, even a three year old could see past that act."

L sat up, rubbing his head where he smacked it falling off of the examination table. "Once again, Raito-kun uses his amazing powers to see right through me. I most definitely wish I had his skills. Although, Raito-kun shouldn't lie- you fell for it."

Raito got off of his knees and sat on his wheel stool, his eyes turning hot chocolate again, "I did not."

"You did so. Raito-kun nearly had a heart attack."

"I wouldn't mind if you had a heart attack right here and now…" Raito muttered.

"Raito-kun is almost no fun and quite rude." L said as he jumped back on the examination table. "But then again, Raito-kun has a high intellect, one of the very few people who can understand me without repetition. He is also very gorgeous, like a piece of cake sitting daintily in the bakery; you just can't wait to bring it home for desert. His mean streak is also a turn on, despite how often I'm the subject of said mood."

"Flattery is unneeded, Hideki-san."

"Raito-kun enjoys it," L answered smugly, "You won't mind if I stay here a while, do you? I would rather not go back to work. I've been at a very stressful dead end, you see."

Raito shrugged. "I don't mind, actually. With my schedule completely open on Tuesdays, sans you, it gets boring around here. My medical books went missing about four months ago so I have nothing to do on Tuesdays after you leave except listen to Misa and Kiyomi talk about gossip, fashion, and boys. It'll be nice to talk with someone who appreciates conversations with intellect."

"So, Raito-kun isn't mad about me continuously visiting him with fake illnesses?" L asked. "And trying to woo him, even though he fears unprofessionalism?"

Raito thought on this for a moment or two before allowing a small smirk to show. "Not really. It's entertaining, to say the least, and I'm kind of interested to see where this 'wooing' is heading."

L perked up, "Does Raito-kun think I will not be able to do it? Does he not believe I can win him over?"

"Nope," Raito's smirk grew and L knew he was right where the doctor wanted him. Too bad L enjoyed the place he was at, for Raito was exactly where he liked him.

"Would Raito-kun like to make a bet?" L asked, leaning forward, carefully balancing himself on his tippy toes. "A bet of whether I can woo him or not?"

Raito moved in closer as well, his melted caramel eyes gleaming, "I like the sound of that. You're too confident in your abilities; I would love to knock you off your high horse. You have… a month to successfully woo me. If you can't, you'll eat your apples and stay away from my office."

"When I win, Raito-kun will want me as much as I want him now and we both know what the prize will be."

"I highly doubt that will happen."

"Raito-kun is also too confident in his abilities; maybe it is not my horse that needs to be attacked."

The two geniuses stuck out their hands at the same time, a matching sadistic smile on their faces and shook on it.

"Let the games begin."

* * *

See? Barely a plot twist at all. The flowers mentioned really were called Eye Candy, I found them online and just had to put them in. And when I wrote that the flower delivery man came "waltzing" in, I literally pictured him spinning around the office with a vase of flowers. And then spinning back out. It was too funny!

I LEAVE FOR SPAIN TOMORROW!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Wish me bon voyage! If you're in the Madrid, Granada, or Seville area please look out for the American girl getting arrested for taking too many pictures.

Reviews are much, much, much appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his Moto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: As mentioned in the first chapter, starting in this chapter, real medical problems will be addressed. Please understand that I am in no way making fun of anyone with these diseases. I have one of diseases and although I laugh at myself about it, I would never do that to anyone else. If you are offended you may talk to be about it but just keep in mind I am not trying to offend anyone. Thank you.

Second Warning: As I mentioned in the first chapter, there will be gore. This chapter contains gore, amputated body parts, blood, torture, and surgery. If you feel queasy at any of the following please hold your stomach and skip those parts. It takes place after the dream. But I didn't write the gory parts too well so they shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Third Warning: Teru Mikami makes his one and only performance. Sorry Mikami fans but he really didn't have too much of a place in this story except this part. If you have not read or watched up to Teru's entrance… er… do that now. But there are really no spoilers. He's just… there.

Anyway! Thank you for the reviews and wishing me good luck in Spain! I would enjoy it if you reviewed some more.

* * *

_L frowned, feeling his anger begin to heat up his body. He glared at the computer and his hands itched to destroy something. He noticed his innocent notes lying on the desk. He grabbed at the loose leaf paper, wrinkling them. Those stupid notes about this stupid case. He crushed them harder and brought his arm back, his aim determined for the lit fireplace. _

_Warm, comforting hands pressed against the back of his neck and kneaded his clenching muscles. Hot breathing tickled his ear and almost immediately his fury demolished to a numb tone. _

"_You've worked so hard on those notes," soothed the liquid sugar-like voice. "You should have regretted ruining them the moment they left your hand."_

_L purred under the skilled hands, "Raito-kun seems to know me better than myself."_

_Said man smirked and rested his chin on top of his lover's silky raven hair. "You would forget to get changed without me. Hmm…" His gaze settled upon the computer screen. "Try searching near the dumpster. It has an unnatural section of rusting right here." He pointed. _

_L had never so badly wanted to perform a face palm. _

_Raito kissed the top of his head and asked what he would like for dinner._

"_Churros con chocolate."_

L woke up with drool hanging out of the corner of his mouth and his notes stuck to his forehead. He cracked his neck and cursed himself for falling asleep at the desk again. He plucked the sheet of printer paper from his face and sighed.

Nine weeks ago, L took on one of the most gruesome and bloodiest cases he's ever encountered. People, last seen at night clubs throughout Japan, would mysteriously disappear and show up in an abandoned warehouse the next morning, bound by their hands and feet and gagged. The victims looked like they had gone through surgery- cuts adorned their mangled bodies, internal organs were removed and placed either on the wall, nailed there like a trophy, or replaced in another part of the body where it did not belong. They were alive and awake, when their surgery took place, L knew, for their hands and feet were covered in bruises and scratches from trying to resist against the cuffs. The murders would normally occur once every two weeks.

Week one through two, a slightly overweight but still attractive, young man's stomach was sloppily removed and his torso was never stitched up. He was, instead, stuffed with pastries from all different varieties where his stomach would be. His stomach was found in his mouth, when the investigators untied his gag the next morning.

Week three through four, another man, a good looking, young male of twenty four, had his heart, literally, ripped from his chest and smashed upon the floor. It reminded L of a cheesy romance line when a girl or boy had been rejected brought to life. The man had tears tracks down his face and his right hand was held over the gaping hole in chest. His skin was dyed red from his blood. It was after this terrible murder, L had decided to take the case and met with his small Investigation Team for the first time, of course, via computer.

Week five through six, was the appearance of a young woman, a very pretty college student studying nursing. She was found in the freezer, skin blue, and had died with a nasty case of hypothermia and frost bite. She had been thrown into a tub filled with ice cubes that was located in the freezer of the warehouse. Her sliced open torso was filled with orange juice and had turned into frozen slushie from the cold.

By week seven, L had yet to spot a single clue from under all the blood, torture and internal organs. He was slowly being driven insane. He turned to sweets, the only thing that could keep his mind in tiptop condition no matter how much stress his mind and body was taking. That was when Watari could also handle no more and called in for Doctor Raito Yagami. Meeting the doctor did nothing except make L fall head over heels, which caused distractions during work.

Week seven and eight, was so simple, L has it placed under the category of, "Same Murderer?" The girl had been kidnapped from a bar, like the others. She had been young and attractive, like the others and was going to college to become a dentist. But this time, she was simply stabbed through the heart after her lips were stitched together. The police, instructed by L, kept all warehouses in the district under watch and arrived just in time to see Isha sneak out of the backdoor. They chased him until he managed to escape, two miles down from the warehouse. During the chase, he had tripped twice. The first time had caused him a sprained ankle and had him near limping the rest of the way until he fell again and smashed his head on the ground, leaving a concussion. About a hundred yards after he had hit his head, Isha disappeared into the night. They were still unsure, at that point, if Isha had, in fact, killed the three previous victims or was merely copying the first murderer's.

Deputy Yagami had gotten a hint that Isha will be attacking the next Monday and then they would know if he was behind the previous attacks or not. Week nine and ten, was another male, attractive at the age of twenty three, who died of a terrible brutal death. All the muscles in his legs, calves, arms and thighs were removed, leaving large open flaps of skin, barely covering the exposed bones. The man was found in a sea of blood, lumps of his muscle floating around like chunks of ice. L had an officer faint on scene. This proved that Isha was the man they were looking for.

Week eleven and twelve involved a twenty four year old woman, who studied Optometry, died from blood loss and vital damage to the body. All six hundred and sixty six of her acupuncture points were pierced, not with a needle like one would find at a doctor's office but with a six millimeter diameter drill. Before this, Isha had stitched her eyes shut.

It was currently week fourteen. L looked over the notes of the murder of two days ago, week thirteen. According to the pattern, it wouldn't be until next week that another body will be found in a random warehouse. Of week thirteen, a good looking man of twenty four had his head cut in half, a radius of the middle of his forehead. His brain had undergone surgery. In one part, brain tissue in the temporal lobe was removed. In another, the corpus callosum was cut and there was another slice in between the hemispheres. The last procedure wasn't complete, L deduced Isha had found it too difficult and got frustrated. He had started to make shallow cuts in the brain tissue but ended up making them deeper than necessary. This caused Isha to tear the brain out of the skull completely and toss it in the puddle of blood.

L bit his thumb, staring at the gory pictures of the mangled body with experienced senses, neither throwing up at the gruesome details nor reacting in an unprofessional manner. He looked for a clue as to which city Isha would choose next, where his nightclub of choice would be and where would be the warehouse but, as usual, Isha left nothing.

Leaning to the right, L grabbed the plate of cookies and pulled it closer to him. He took two at once and shoved them in his mouth, eating as he continued to look at the pictures of the young man. As he reached for the third and forth cookie, the plate was snatched away from him. L looked behind him, furious, knowing exactly who it was. "Watari, I will ask you only once to relinquish my cookies."

Watari shook his head and stayed out of striking distance from his young master. "Are you aware of the time, L?"

"Of course it's…" L quickly looked at the clock. "Nearly ten in the morning."

"Yes," Watari smiled at L. "Do you possibly know what today is?"

L sighed, looking back at the bloody pictures. "Please do not play with me right now, Watari. Just two days ago, I failed to save yet another person. This case is taking a great strain on me and, honestly, time and date do not matter so much if it does not matter to the case."

"Oh, well, in that case…" Watari said, placing down a bowl of cherries instead of the cookies. "I will have no choice but to call Yagami-sensei and tell him that you will not be able to make it this Tuesday."

L's body froze. "Today… is Tuesday…?"

"Yes, but since, Yagami-sensei has no connection to the case, he does not matter to you. I will inform him right away." As Watari started to walk away, arms wrapped around his left leg and stopped his movements. He heard a loud crash of the computer chair falling and looked down to see L holding tightly onto his leg. Watari smiled; half wishing he had seen L fly from his chair to stop him from reaching the phone. "Do you want something, Master Ryuuzaki?"

"You are truly evil, Watari." L said as he picked himself off of the floor. "Teasing me like that. The appointment is at eleven, correct? Give me two minutes to get dressed." He quickly ran out of the room. Watari chuckled and popped a cherry in his mouth. He ate it with delight and grabbed another one, briefly wondering why L chose cookies over these cherries.

* * *

The traffic was terrible this morning for reasons beyond L. He sat frustrated and gritting his teeth as they moved an inch every two minutes. What a wonderful way to start off the bet, L thought angrily to himself.

If there was ever a moment to need sugar, it would be now.

Watari pulled the limo into the parking lot fifteen minutes after his appointed time. L jumped out of the car and rushed into the doctor's office. He ignored the nurses' giggling as he flung open the door to the examination room, breathing heavily.

Raito was all ready there.

"Hideki-san, it's so good to see you," He greeted smugly, leaning against the cabinets. "A little late, are we? I thought you weren't going to show."

L quickly put on his game face and sauntered toward the doctor. He wrapped his arms around his waist and nuzzled his face into the doctor's honey colored hair, finding he was taller once he corrected his back. Raito pushed at his chest, trying to pry him off, but L tightened his grip. He removed his face from the sweet smelling hair and planted a quick peck on Raito's forehead. "Were you scared? Thinking I wasn't going to show? Raito-kun should know that I will always be here for him."

Raito pushed harder and squirmed in his arms. "L-let me go!"

After another kiss, L obeyed and opened his arms. Raito swiftly left the room and slammed the door. Blinking, L climbed onto the examination table, wondering why Raito had left so suddenly. Shrugging, L got to work on his newest disease.

* * *

When Raito returned, ten minutes later, he shrieked at the sight of L.

L sat on his knees and elbows, with his ass sticking up in the air, looking like a cat ready to pounce. His rear was facing the doctor and L turned his head around to smirk at the doctor's reaction. "Raito-_sensei_, I seem to have Colitis. Will you check to see how severe it is?"

Raito quickly slammed the door again. L grinned at the glimpse of a strawberry blush on those soft cheeks. He heard the nurses talking with Raito behind the closed door.

"Doctor! You can't leave him! He's terribly sick!"

"With a fake illness! He's trying to get a rise out of me, but I won't let him!"

"He kind of did, Raito-sensei. You're blushing terribly and a sensible doctor wouldn't react as irrationally as you just did."

"… Shut up, Kiyomi-chan."

"She's right, doctor. You need to go back in there and prove yourself! You won't win the bet with ignoring him! You've got that secret weapon, remember?"

"Yes, you're right, Misa-chan, thank you."

Four seconds later, the door opened again. Raito walked in, with his thinking face on. L took a special note of that.

"So you say you think you have Colitis," He said nonchalantly, staying close to the door and, most importantly, keeping his eyes away from L's ass. "You know what that is, don't you?"

"Why of course, I do, Raito-_sensei_. It's inflammatory of the colon and you bleed from your ass."

"… Yes…"

"The internet says that I should get it checked out by my doctor." L shook his butt. "I'm waiting for you, _sensei_."

"You know…" Raito said. "If you have Colitis, it's not a very good idea to have sex."

"Ah, yes, that may be so, Raito-_sensei_, but that would matter to the submissive of the relationship. And I'm no submissive. I'm a top- an aggressive top. I have never once been submissive. One of the few things I can boast about. I have never even been submissive to a traffic signal."

"Remind me to never get into a car with you," Raito grumbled with a twitch of his eye. "Maybe it's not Colitis that you have, but Proctitis. It only affects the rectum and very common in homosexual men."

"But once again, Raito-_sensei_, I would have had to been submissive to get Proctitis. As I told you before, I have never once been submissive."

"If you truly insist on having a rectum examination, I guess I can't refuse." Raito said a bit dramatically, his arms up as he shrugged. He opened the door and gestured for one of the nurses. He whispered in her ear. L couldn't hear a word from underneath the blonde's shrill giggles. She nodded and left. A second later she appeared with a dark haired guy.

L felt his blood boil at the sight of the new guy, smiling at Raito like a kid would a cupcake.

Raito grinned back at the man and allowed him into the room. L reverted back to his normal sitting stance. "Hideki-san, this is Teru-kun. Teru-kun, this is Hideki Ryuuga." L's eye twitched at the familiar honorific that this man received but he didn't.

This man, Teru, looked at L with the same distaste as L was looking at him with. They both seemed to understand each other clearly- they were both after Raito.

L stood up, his back straight and walked toward Teru. Standing correctly, L was a good few inches taller. He gave him a scrutinizing glance over, tilting his head to the side. The man had shaggy black hair that reached the bottom of his neck and thick black rimmed glasses. He wore black slacks, a black button down dress shirt and a blank, white tie. "You are not worthy," L said simply.

"Excuse me?" Teru asked, pushing up his glasses.

"Does Teru-san perhaps have something lodged in his ears? I said you are not worthy."

"Says the asshole with the tacky outfit, raccoon eyes and hair that looks as if you fell asleep next to a hairdryer! I think it is you who is not worthy," Teru snapped at him.

"I prefer to think of my eyes like that of a panda. They are cuddlier than a raccoon. I think Raito-kun can be a testimony to my statement."

"What?!" Teru and Raito yelled.

Teru opened his mouth again to speak but L waved his hand as if to say, 'Discussion over. I win.' "Now, Raito-kun, please tell me the significance of this…" He looked at Teru, trying to find a good word to describe him. "… This squalid wastrel."

"A squalid wastrel?" Teru mocked. "Is that the best your vocabulary could come up with, Hideki-san?"

"I could come up with hundreds of better insults but I wanted to make sure your brain didn't go combust trying to understand me."

"Why I oughtta…"

"Now is hardly the time," Raito interrupted, stepping in between the two. Teru crossed his arms over his chest and L stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Hideki-san, Teru-kun is my apprentice. He specializes in internal diseases."

L narrowed his eyes. "He's not touching me."

"I'm not touching him," Teru said. "… What does he have?"

"Colitis." Raito responded. L could have sworn he say a flash of apprehension in the doctor's eyes. He must have brought this man here on purpose, just to piss L off.

"Colitis?!" Teru shrieked, recoiling from L. "Raito-sama, you know I will do anything for you, but to touch this man in that… that area! Dear gods only know what filth is there! Out of all the causes to get Colitis, I wouldn't be surprised if he caught it from doing something dirty to his own asshole."

L saw Raito's eye twitch again in aggravation. "You know, Teru-san…" L said, realizing a mistake, "I do not believe you are a real doctor apprentice. If you were, you would know that there is no known cause for Colitis. Therefore, you could not be surprised to find out how I caught it."

Teru opened his mouth and then closed it, eyes wide. He quickly shot a desperate glance at Raito. "Now, that this is all done with..." L said, jumping back onto the examination table. "Could you please send him out of here, Raito-kun? I would like to continue with my appointment."

Raito shot Teru a deadly glower and shoved him out. "Eh? B-But, Raito-sama! Does this still mean…?"

"No," Raito gritted out as he slammed the door in the man's face. He turned around and pressed his back against the door, sighing. After taking a second or two to recompose himself, Raito looked up into the angry eyes of L Lawliet.

"Would Raito-kun like to explain himself?" L demanded, seething. "Or would you like it if I came to my own conclusions?"

Raito pushed himself off of the door and sat down on his wheel stool. He cradled his cheek into his palm as if he had a terrible headache. "In my self-defense, it worked out better in my head."

"Your self-defense is lacking. Give me the whole story before I decide to hurt someone."

"I knew I had to get some sort of advantage over you and I figured what better way than your possessiveness and short tempered personality. I had an acquaintance, Teru, pose as a fake doctor apprentice. He has an infatuation with me, as you could probably tell-" L snorted. "- so he agreed easily, obviously not wanting some "strange random hobo" steal away "his precious Raito-sama"." Raito said with air quotes. "All I had to do was promise one date…"

"You didn't," L hissed. "Raito-kun would never go on a date with a man so easy. He's no challenge at all."

Raito shrugged. "It was one date. I've been on many dates, Hideki-san. Never once have I enjoyed myself. I figured, what's one more boring date to add to the list. It's not like I would call him again to schedule another. It's canceled now, of course. He failed me."

"So you called that thing to get me all riled up? With a promised date, no less? Is Raito-kun trying to kill me?"

"No, of course not. I'm trying to win the bet."

"Raito-kun will not win the bet if he successfully kills me. I suggest Raito-kun keeps all crazy stalkers away from him at all times, for my health and his."

"Does that mean I should stay away from you as well?" The corner of Raito's mouth curved upward.

"Of course not, Raito-kun. I am not a crazy stalker. I am a patient who mysteriously catches harmful diseases and is miraculously cured only two seconds before walking through your door. Raito-kun is quite the exceptional doctor if he can cure me without actually having to see me. Although, I am very fond of seeing Raito-kun."

"I'm sure you are."

"Will Raito-kun examine me now?" L asked, flipping himself over and shaking his butt at the doctor.

"You don't have Colitis."

"Says who?"

"Says your previous record of storming in here with fake diseases!"

"I would like it if Raito-kun would check it out, just in case."

"Just in case of what? Just in case I feel the need to jump you if I see the inside of your ass hole?"

"Colitis is a very uncomfortable and very embarrassing disease."

"And that's why you're shamelessly waving your ass in the air?"

"I feel at ease in Raito-kun's presence for he is my first and only friend."

L was positive he saw flicker of panic on Raito's face before it disappeared completely. "All right. I'll give you your rectum examination." He hesitantly rose from his stool and walked toward the cabinets on the other side of the room, searching for latex gloves. "Drop your pants while I'm…" Raito's body stiffened as L's arms wrapped around his waist. "Hideki-san? I thought I told you to…"

"You don't have to, you know," L whispered quietly in the doctor's ear, "I don't have Colitis, obviously. I just needed to know if you were willing to do this for me."

"Why?" L held in a sigh of relief at Raito's calm tone.

"It's something I needed to know. It's a personal thing. I hope you understand, Raito-kun," He said, as he planted a kiss on the back of his neck.

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Then maybe one day you will." L spun Raito around in his arms and kissed him again on the lips. He sent him a lopsided smile. "Stay away from Teru-san for me, will you?"

L was out of the door before Raito could call him back.

* * *

Ho, ho, ho! Was it good? It's a bit short. Did you see my little shout out to Spain? And the non spoilerific Teru Mikami? That poor guy. Did anyone lose their breakfast/lunch/dinner/midnight snack at the gore? I'm sorry the writing was so lame.

So, funny thing, I checked all my email after I got back from Spain and loved seeing "Don't go! Write!!!" Aww! Guys! Thanks for wishing me luck! The thing is tomorrow I'm going to Virginia! Oh yeah! Psyched! Yeah so if you're in the Richmond area, look for a random girl taking too many pictures! Haha!

Review. Now. … Please?


	7. Chapter 7

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: Real medical problems will be addressed. Please understand that I am in no way making fun of anyone with these diseases. I have one of diseases and although I laugh at myself about it, I would never do that to anyone else. If you are offended you may talk to me about it but just keep in mind I am not trying to offend anyone. Thank you.

Second Warning: There will be gore. This chapter contains gore, amputated body parts, blood, torture, and surgery. If you feel queasy at any of the following please hold your stomach and skip those parts. It takes place after the dream. But I didn't write the gory parts too well so they shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Xelena: The begining point of where Raito's life is in danger starts next chapter, I believe. It's drawn out over a few chapters but it'll all come together soon.

Wow that was a long update. I had so much school work to catch up on since I missed so many days in Spain and Virginia. If it makes up for it, this is one of my favorite chapters. It was fun to write and it's fun to read. Please enjoy.

Once again, thank you to my reviewers. Over one hundred, baby! Keep 'em coming!!!

* * *

"Well, gentlemen, another girl was kidnapped and murdered." L said solemnly to his Investigation Team. "I have sent you all a copy of the report. Please check your emails. When you are done reading, we will discuss it." His team nodded and turned away from him to their computers. L pulled up his own copy of the report and read it again in case he missed something.

It was too early, L thought, biting his thumb. The pattern has been broken. For the past thirteen weeks, there had been one attack per every two weeks. Just last week, a man had been killed during brain surgery and just yesterday a woman was killed. She, just like the rest of the victims, was young, gorgeous and in college for premed. When she was found the next morning, she looked completely fine- no cuts, no broken bones, no amputations. But that was until they noticed an empty gallon of lighter fluid, tossed mercilessly to the side. The police saw no burn marks on her skin, until they took off her clothes. There, throughout her butt, were singe marks. A coroner was called in to examine her. After some exams back in his lab, he reveled that her entire colon was drowned in lighter fluid before a thin, flexible tube that was lit on fire was shoved in the colon, like an endoscopy.

"L?" Deputy Yagami asked. "We are ready for you now."

"Ah, yes, good." L looked at the disgusted faces of the Investigation Team. "As I'm sure you all noticed, Isha's murders are becoming more and more severe the longer he remains uncaught. We are in need of another plan. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

Matsuda waved his hand in the air, calling, "Ooh! Ooh!" like a monkey would. L ignored him and chose Aizawa and his calmly raised arm. "Aizawa-san, do you have an idea?"

"I was thinking, maybe we should hire someone to pose as a possible victim. Then we can watch them and if Isha picks our man, we can trace them down."

L bit his thumb, replaying the information in his head. "That sounds like a very plausible idea, Aizawa-san, good job."

"But how will we know what club he'll be hitting next?" Matsuda asked, jumping up. "He picks them at random!"

"There's a seventy-eight percent chance he will choose a club in Hiroshima since he has yet to attack that city and the pattern looks as if he's jumping north, west, south, east, then south, west, north, east. There are quite a few so we'll select the biggest and most populated nightclubs and have one proxy victim stand in each one. For each proxy, a small tracing chip and camera will be placed on their clothes and we will watch them through monitors."

"When should we send out the proxies?" Deputy Yagami asked, "Isha before killed every two weeks but now he's killing every week. How will we know when he'll choose to attack?"

"We will not know, Yagami-san. We have no other choice than to switch the proxies around at each club until either one of them is kidnapped or Isha strikes again."

Matsuda made a groaning noise, "Ugh! This is going to eat up all my personal time!"

"Speak for yourself," Aizawa growled at him. "You don't have a wife and a five year old at home."

Matsuda blinked, "You're right Aizawa." He turned to Mogi. "Do you have any family, Mogi?" The stolid man shook his head no. "Well, I know you have a family, Chief. Do you miss them at all?"

Deputy Yagami smiled slightly. "Yes, everyday. I see my wife whenever I get the chance to go home but I don't get to see my kids that often. The youngest is busy with college and the eldest is a highly sought out doctor. I'm very proud of them both though."

L scoffed in his mind about his 'highly sought out' son. Mikami is sure the indication, L thought, and Misa was after him too for a while.

"Raito-kun should have joined the NPA," Aizawa said. "He would be an excellent detective."

"What about you, L?" Matsuda asked, leaving the group as they rambled on about the Chief's family. "Do you have any family? You work a lot so you probably would miss them terribly."

L paused before answering. "I suppose, in a way, I've got family. Yes, I have two family members, one who is with me constantly, like a watchful grandfather, and the other, I do miss terribly."

* * *

Sometimes, Watari felt like James Bond or some sort of secret agent. Going behind L's back to buy apples, hide them and then sneak them into his food. The front attack of straight out handing him an apple and saying: "Eat it" won't cut it. Instead, he tried to cut apples into the smallest chucks he could, sneaking them into his cake, cupcakes, pancakes or anything L asks him of. Unfortunately, L always managed to find them before he can take the first bite and throws the food out the window to the homeless man. He would then order the same exact dessert, reminding the elder man to skip the apples.

Watari sighed, baking another batch of cookies. At least someone was getting a healthy diet.

* * *

It was Tuesday. After four days of watching and waiting for the next murder to occur through video cameras, L was beat. Four days of watching people do the bump and grind to fifty people at once. L didn't know how long his brain could take unintelligent drunks stumbling around anymore. Four days, ten bars/clubs a night, forty long videos in all. Throughout this entire thing, L only learned two things- one, he has no sexual preference toward anyone except Raito -believe him, if watching four days of what seemed like a mixture of Girls (and Boys) Gone Wild and kinky porno tapes and you got no physical response out of it, then you've got a problem- and two, he was in a odd mood to drag Raito there and bump and grind against that appetizing ass.

With that in mind, L picked out the disease of the week, a sickening smile spreading on his face.

* * *

In the two seconds Raito had been in the room, he was jumped on, again, landed on the floor, again, and a panda like man was cuddling his chest… again.

"Please tell me you won't fall asleep again," Raito muttered almost threatening, failing to push the detective off of him. "The last thing I need is you sleeping on top of me."

"Raito-kun is, once again, no fun," L said, staring at the doctor. "He is, on the other hand, looking very delicious today. Most definitely, very delicious. I want to lock him up so no one but me shall taste such deliciousness."

The "delicious" doctor raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you need that has a high chance of me smacking you if you did not try to butter me up first?"

L bit back a groan as he pictured Raito naked, rubbing butter seductively over himself. Keep going, he told himself. L raised his hands and threaded them through the doctor's soft honey colored hair. He leaned forward, lips brushing Raito's ear. "My sweet, sweet doctor, I seem to have a problem I am hoping you are able to _fix_…" He whispered, hissing out the last word.

He felt Raito stiffen underneath him and began to struggle. Unfortunately, (depending on who is asked) the brunette's hands were trapped in between the two bodies, and when Raito started to squirm, his hands touched… sensitive areas.

L clamped his mouth over Raito's warm neck, trying to stiffen the moans attempting to escape. That only caused the doctor to struggle more, "Pervert! S-stop!" He bit harder. He didn't think it would feel this good or want it this bad. Dreams were one thing, the real deal was another! Oh God those hands…

It didn't take too long before Raito ceased his struggles abruptly. His eyes were wide in disbelief. "Y-you… you… you're…" Something snapped in his wide hot chocolate eyes as he tried harder to free himself. "Pervert! Get off right now! Goddamnit, Ryuuga, when I…"

"You called me Ryuuga…!" L gasped in delight, releasing Raito's bruised neck, "You called me by my first name and there were no honorifics. Say it again."

"This is not the time, goddamnit! GET OFF!" Raito nearly shrieked.

"If I were to release Raito-kun, he would only attack me."

"You're goddamn right I would!"

"I will release Raito-kun under two conditions. One, he must resist the urge to hit me, no matter how tempting that desire might be. And two, he must call me 'Ryuuga' from now on. No honorifics."

"I will not…!" L shifted his hips slightly downward and Raito screamed in response. "FINE! Just get off!" L jumped off, although reluctant, and stood there, making no attempts to hide the very obvious bulge in his pants. Raito rushed to his feet, refusing to meet eyes with the detective. "I hate you, you know that?"

"Raito-kun might feel that way right now, but soon I will convert him to thinking otherwise." L said.

"J-just, sit down." L nodded and crawled on the examination table. He was slightly uncomfortable sitting in his crouched way with his hard erection in the confinement of his jeans but he didn't dare move. He didn't want to appear weak in front of his doctor. "What is it this week?" Raito asked looking apprehensive as his fixed his pristine white coat from across the room.

"Well, I was going to say I have Erectile Dysfunction but Raito-kun appeared to have cured it," He smiled in a creepy, toothy grin.

"I noticed that!" Raito cried, pointing an accusing finger in the direction of L's pants.

"Have you now?" L teased, biting his thumb.

"What could possibly make you think you had Erectile Dysfunction? You probably stole a picture of me off of the Internet and jack off to it every night! You pervert!"

"I rest assure you, Raito-kun, that that is not the case. Sadly, I do not own a picture of you. But if Raito-kun would like to give me one…"

"Hell no. Just tell me why you had to choose that problem this week."

"These past few days, I have been to a couple of bars and clubs, just for the sake of trying them out for the first time. While I was there, I saw events one would only see on a highly expensive and very satisfying porn tape. Throughout that entire experience, I had failed to receive any stimulation, and I figured, maybe, something was indeed wrong with me. But all of that was cured when I saw Raito-kun today."

Raito opened his mouth and then closed it again. "I do not believe I want to discuss this…"

"Whatever shall I do, Raito-kun?" L asked, inwardly thankful that his burning erection was dying down. "It is highly unusual that I am attracted to no one, except Raito-kun, and I believe I do have Erectile Dysfunction. I propose that Raito-kun becomes my sex therapy coach."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Boo."

"Even if I was slightly interested in becoming your sex therapy couch, which I'm NOT, I couldn't because I am not licensed to be one. Although I could recommend you one if you would like. I heard Teru-kun is looking for a partner to go with, maybe the two of you could team up…?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Raito grinned, and L could see calculations through those hot chocolate eyes of his. He rose from his chair and raided through his cabinets. "What is Raito-kun looking for?" L mused aloud.

"A solution for your problem."

"Raito-kun is looking for a condom for us to use?!" L took personal offense when Raito ignored him, humming a song, even! Apparently, Raito found what he was looking for because he turned around, walked up to L, smiling greatly. "What is…?" L froze in astonishment as Raito willingly kissed him.

L's cry of shock was muffled by Raito's cotton candy lips and even took the opportunity of L's open mouth to slip in his tongue inside. He pushed down his legs and leaned in close, chests touching. The doctor's palms were pressed against the wall, trapping him between lean arms.

L played along, determined not to lose this battle. Their tongues clashed, poked and slid along the other's tongue and mouth. Dear mercy of Heaven did he miss that toffee taste… L wrapped his arms around Raito's waist and yanked him in closer, and, in response, the brunette turned his head to get better access. He removed his hands from the wall, threading them into the soft raven hair. Raito moaned into the kiss, his mouth vibrating onto his lips. L felt something slip down his throat and he gagged, pulling his lips off the doctor.

"What did you do?" L snapped. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"I'm assisting you and your problem, of course," Raito said, feigning almost perfect innocence. His devilish eyes gave him away. "It's my duty as your doctor."

"What did you do to me?" L asked, slowly and angrily, like he was scolding a small child. Raito smiled like the angel he wishes he was and trapped L's lips in another lip lock. He attempted to push him away but the grip in his hair was too strong. He was overcome with a strange sense of déjà vu and uncontrollable lust. He responded, giving into the kiss as strongly as his partner was.

"_There's no way Raito-kun would kiss me just because he wanted to. The first kiss must have been to get a pill in my mouth. I definitely felt a pill slid down my throat. What kind of pill was it though? Hopefully it's a placebo, given to me for Raito-kun's amusement to watch me have a heart attack over it. There is an eighty-five percent chance that it is not a placebo but a real pill. He said he was helping the problem. It must have something to do with the fact that he is kissing me currently. He wouldn't kiss me without a reason."_

It suddenly struck L what pill it was, only five seconds before the affects started to take place.

L quickly shoved Raito away from him and rushed out of the room. He spirited down the hall into the bathroom. He slammed the door and slid down it, breathing harshly. "Oh no, oh please no…"

"_Ryuuga_?" Raito asked, sounding like he's trying to stifle his laughter. Too bad he was failing. "Are you okay, _Ryuuga_?" L hated the stress on his alias Raito had purposely placed.

"Viagra. You gave me Viagra."

"Yes. Is your Erectile Dysfunction cured?"

"Goddamnit, yes!"

He felt something hit the lower part of his back; Raito had slipped in something under the door crack. "Here, use it well."

L picked up the magazine Raito had given him and flipped the first page open. He dropped it in freight. "What the hell?" He yelled at the doctor through the door, staring in horror at the buff, naked man, flexing his one too many muscles as he sent L a predatory glance, a rose in between his shiny white teeth.

"That's to help you with your little _problem_. Misa-chan said that this edition was her favorite and I thought you both have similar tastes in men so I gave it to you. I also threw in an extra pill in case you enjoy yourself so much the first time. Have fun!"

L growled at the stupid man trying to seduce him on the glossy magazine page. He threw the magazine against the wall, watching as it bounced and fell into the toilet. He was hot, he was horny, he was angry as hell, he was asexual toward every man in that stupid book and he wanted to drag Raito and that delicious ass of his into the bathroom to 'help him with his little _problem_'.

L hesitantly reached into his pants and hissed as his cold hands brushed against his hot erection. "God damn you, Raito Yagami…" He tried to touch himself, but he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to perform such a degrading act. This is what Raito wanted him to do, to put him in a terrible situation he wasn't in charge of. The first one, in Raito's room, was acceptable; L could control the situation, everything was according to plan. The second one, right here in the bathroom, was nothing more than Raito's revenge. This was all to win the bet. Raito had only kissed him to win the bet; Raito had purposely gotten him horny to win the bet. And L would be damned if he didn't come back with something.

He scanned his brain for information he had learned about sildenafil drugs.

* * *

Four hours later, L's ears perked up at the sound of a knock on the bathroom door. "Ryuuga? Are you still in there? You couldn't possibly NOT be done."

"I'm afraid, Raito-_sensei_, that the Viagra has not warn off yet."

"What?" L heard Raito ask in shocked terror. "Ryuuga, please do not kid around, has the Viagra truly not warn off yet? The first one? The first Viagra is still working?"

"Yes, Raito-_sensei_ the first Viagra."

"Are you sure? Positively sure?"

"Once again, Raito-_sensei_, the Viagra is in full force. The magazine does nothing for me."

L could feel Raito's nervousness radiating from the other side of the door. "Ryuuga, you do realize that an erection that lasts longer than four hours is extremely dangerous, correct?"

"Hmm… maybe Raito-_sensei_ should have considered the side effects of the pill, then, no?'

"How was I supposed to know you would be so affected by them?" Raito shouted. "Most people do not develop a long lasting erection! Didn't you try to _do_ something?"

"Of course I did, Raito-_sensei_. What do you think I've been doing in here for the past four hours?"

"It should have gone away be now!"

"Once again, Raito-_sensei_ should have considered that."

"Goddamnit, Ryuuga, open the door!"

"But I'm in such a pitiful state right now, doctor," L said back, "I don't want you to see me right now."

"Open it I said!"

"Only on one condition."

"Ryuuga, I swear I'm going to…"

"No, no. Just listen, please Raito-kun." He heard the doctor sigh and took that as an approval to continue. "Raito-kun wants to help me out, right? After all, it will be all his fault if I get permanent damage to my penis because of the long lasting erection." He could practically feel the anger and guilt through the door, "Now, I need some help to finish my problem."

"I gave you the magazine."

"I said before that the magazine does nothing for me."

"Then I'll buy you a Playboy magazine."

"That will also do nothing. If Raito-kun will recall my earlier statement, four hours ago, I was at multiple clubs for the past few days and I got no stimulation, which was why I brought it up today. All those multiple clubs seeing nearly naked men and women against each other bored me to tears. But… not Raito-kun. In only a few minutes, I was cured. I am not straight, gay, bisexual or asexual. Just Raito-sexual."

"Oh dear God, he named it after me…" He heard Raito groan.

"Yes. I believe the only way to cure my Viagra induced erection is for Raito-kun to help me out."

"No. I won't. It's completely unprofessional."

"But isn't forcing your patient to take Viagra by mouth to mouth, also unprofessional?"

There was a brief moment of silence. "I can't. I _won't_. I will not have sex with you, Ryuuga."

"It doesn't have to be sex, Raito-kun. It could be a hand job, a blow job, a…"

"It falls into the same category! I can't do it!"

"This is quite painful, Raito-_sensei_, being erect for over four hours. It's _your_ fault."

There was another moment of silence before a sharp bang, sounding like the doctor had punched the wall. "I hate you so much, Ryuuga." L could barely hear Raito mutter a curse under his breath. "Open the door."

L ignored that fact that Raito sounded like he was signing himself away for the devil and opened the door, hiding part of his body behind the door. Raito looked at him like he was unafraid but his caramel eyes showed unspoken pleading for L to reconsider. L waved his hand as if to invite the doctor in.

As Raito turned around to face him, L captured the back of his neck and cheek in his hands and kissed him hard. Raito momentarily buckled under the pressure L was putting in the kiss but caught himself soon, kissing back, almost unwillingly. L heard little moans as he nibbled on Raito's bottom lip. He was still unresponsive. He curled his tongue around Raito's and sucked. The doctor clutched at his white sweater as L stroked his hair and cheek. He pulled Raito closer, grinding their hips together and instantly regretted it as he felt an angry growl vibrate against his lips.

Raito pulled his head back, releasing L's lips. "You're not erect!"

L quickly stole a kiss, shoving his tongue in Raito's mouth before pulling back with a loud smack. "Nope." He released the doctor, watching him, who was using L as a support beam, fall to the floor. His hot chocolate eyes were wide in shock, anger and distrust.

He bent forward, petting the soft honey hair. Raito stared wide eyed and mouth gaped at him, too shocked to move, "Raito-kun has been such a bad boy, I felt the need to punish him," He moved closer, lips just barely touching the other, taunting and fueling the desire, "And I shall punish him hard and well."

He gripped a handful of honey colored hair and pulled. Raito shrieked. Taking control of the opportunity, L plunged in his tongue, memorizing every little detail. The doctor tried to pull back but even the slightest movement would cause terrible pain in his scalp. He groaned quietly. L brought up a hand and lightly, oh so lightly, fingered the butterscotch dyed neck. He shivered.

As L brought his lips onto his neck, he was pushed away harshly. He did not fight to regain control as the other scrambled backwards, hitting his back on the toilet.

"What… what did you do?" Raito whispered then yelled, "What the hell did you do to me?"

"I'm assisting you and your problem, of course," L said, feigning almost perfect innocence. His devilish eyes gave him away. "It's my duty as your patient."

"What did you do to me?" Raito shrieked.

"Word of advice, Raito-kun," L said, pausing on his way out of the bathroom door. "Never give a genius a reason for revenge and an extra pill of Viagra."

He slammed the door shut to give Raito and his little _problem_ some time alone.

* * *

Favorite line ever: "Never give a genius a reason for revenge and an extra pill of Viagra"

Rin's book club!: Okay, so I just read this really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY awesome book called 'the Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins. Go buy the book and read it. You will not be disappointed. I had the hardest time putting it down.

I forgot to mention this but there were three things from the last chapter that you were supposed to get. One was a quote from the Death Note: Another Note book. And two were in relations to the murder victims. Congrats to everyone who were able to figure them out. Although no one got the second thing about the murder victims. If you didn't figure them out, it's not too much of a problem.

On to more news: It's my birthday this Sunday. Yeah, I know, Mother's Day. My mom and I keep fighting over who gets top rights that day. We came to an agreement that my sister and dad are slaves for the day. Ho, ho, ho!

So please drop me a line, a bone, a fish, anything. I like long reviews the most.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: Real medical problems will be addressed. Please understand that I am in no way making fun of anyone with these diseases. I have one of diseases and although I laugh at myself about it, I would never do that to anyone else. If you are offended you may talk to me about it but just keep in mind I am not trying to offend anyone. Thank you.

Second Warning: There will be gore. This chapter contains gore, amputated body parts, blood, torture, and surgery. If you feel queasy at any of the following please hold your stomach and skip those parts. It takes place after the dream. But I didn't write the gory parts too well so they shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Woot! Who's excited! Who's excited! Yeah, well, not me. Haha!

Thank you to all who reviewed! You all have a special place in my heart and in my ego. Please enjoy this lovely chapter of An Apple a Day…

* * *

L only had about two days of gloating over his victory against Raito and the Viagra when his balloon was popped with a sharp needle. Isha had murdered again and they failed to catch him again. His plan went up in flames… again. L angrily crunched on an innocent cookie, giving a death glare to the computer screen, looking at pictures taken at the scene of the crime. He grabbed a handful of panda crackers and crushed them within his fist before shoving them in his mouth, chomping furiously. Watari fulfilled his duty by pouring him a cup of hot coffee (unfortunately with lots of sugar) while he read off the notes taken from a crime scene investigator.

"Part one of the plan worked exactly, Master L," he consoled. "Isha had indeed taken one of the hired proxies, the boy with the dyed red tips in Club Chinatown. He had drugged him and carried him out of the club…"

"But that's where we messed up," L growled.

"Yes. We located the tracing chip in a random garbage can with it still attached to the clothes he was wearing."

"All the victims were wearing the clothes eye witnesses said they had on at the club. Our boy was still wearing the clothes he wore at the club when he was found. Isha must have thought of tracking devices and had all the original clothes thrown away and gave them clothes that were identical to the ones they were wearing. He's good."

"He is clever," Watari nodded. "But, Master L, you are smarter. You will figure out a way to overcome him."

"You are correct, Watari," he said, giving him an appreciative nod. "I need something, though, to help move my brain process…"

"Apple?" Watari asked hopefully. "Or maybe some blackcurrant, redcurrant, gooseberry, **apple**, guava, pomegranate, avocado, kiwifruit, **apple**, grape, melon, orange, **apple**, lemon, lime, grapefruit, **apple**, banana, cranberry, blueberry, **apple**, blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, pine**apple**, fig, mulberry, **apple**, apricot, peach, cherry, **apple**, strawberry, plum or **apple**? May I suggest the _**apple**_?"

"Cake!" L cheered to himself, seeming to completely miss Watari's impressive list of fruits. "I need some cake to help me crack this case. Watari, would you like to get me some?"

"Strawberry?"

"Chocolate."

Watari sighed in defeat but bowed out and left to fetch L's fruit-lacking cake. As Watari closed the door, L returned his attention to the pictures in front of him.

The proxy's penis was sliced open and stuffed with cotton, like a teddy bear. After, Isha had castrated him, cracked open his skull with a mallet and replaced his brain with his stuffed penis. The pictures were just as terrible as they sounded. As L reread the investigation notes, he wondered what had sparked such a horrific impulse to kill this way, making people go through surgery (if one could call this surgery) by an unlicensed doctor without anesthesia. Revenge, maybe? Or possibly a way of life that has been drilled into his head since a child? The NPA didn't hold too many records of Erochikku Isha because the man, although wacked up in the mind, had an impressive IQ. He managed to tear down the firewalls and crack the codes to delete almost every record of himself. L believed there was a secret file of him running around in the underground business, though.

Well, L thought as he bit his thumb, at least something new was brought to the surface- tracking devices did not work and the clothes that the victims wore at the scene of the crime were not the ones they left the house in. On top of all that, Isha's mental stability was declining at a rapid rate.

Watari returned with a considerate sized piece of chocolate cake and a fresh brew of coffee. L dug straight away into the cake and ate as he worked. The elder gentleman silently refilled the empty cup of coffee, looking over L's shoulder. "Do you an idea as to what you are about to do next?"

"As of the moment, no. Soon, no doubt, I will have to take desperate measures in order to solve this. My focus right now is the motive behind Isha's actions. There is a seventy-three percent chance that the murders are ignited by revenge. I wish to know what that is. Watari, please get Deputy Yagami on the phone."

"Of course, Master L," Watari said, pulling a phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed the number before handing it to him. L pressed the voice synthesizer switch moments before the dial tone ended.

"_Hello? Yagami residence."_

L nearly dropped the phone in shock but pulled himself together at an amazing rate. "Good afternoon, Raito-san. I wish to speak to your father."

L could see his beloved's caramel eyes narrowing in suspicion. _"Who is this? How do you know who I am and how do you know my father?"_

"I do not want to play twenty questions with you, Raito-san. If your father is home, his presence is most needed at this moment."

"_No,"_ Raito snapped. _"He is not home at the moment. He is at work."_ L knew that was a lie because L gave the investigation team a day off and, even if he didn't, he would be monitoring his work at this very moment.

"That is a lie, Raito-san, and I am in no mood to play around. When your father is '_home_' I expect a call from him."

"_What makes you think he's going to call you? You're practically a robot!"_

"He will call me back," L responded. "Tell him L called."

"_L?!"_ he heard Raito gasp. _"W-wha, wait!"_

"Good day, Raito-san," he hung up, feeling quite elated.

* * *

No more than five minutes later, Watari had received a call from Deputy Yagami and transferred it over to L's phone. Pressing the voice synthesizer switch button, L answered, "You have a rude son, Yagami-san. He lied to me."

"_I'm terribly sorry, L,"_ Soichirro said._ "It's not every day a synthesized voice calls your parent's house and asks to talk to your father. You can never be too safe when you're a police officer. "_

"I suppose not. Down to the case, Yagami-san, I want you to gather information on Erochikku Isha, as soon as possible."

"_But, L, Isha's information in limited in the NPA database…"_

"Not that kind of information- an in-depth background report. I want to know why he is performing surgery on young and good looking bar goers. I want, no, need to know his motivation. Hack into the underground files, there's bound to be something."

"_Yes, of course, L. I will do everything that I can do." _

"Very good. Thank you Yagami-san, I shall see you tomorrow. Oh, yes, one more thing. Keep an eye on your son…"

"_My son? Raito? Why?"_ Soichirro interrupted.

"… I heard he's got quite a nasty stalker, Yagami-san, by the name of Teru Mikami. I believe Raito-san had once promised Teru Mikami a date if Teru Mikami could publically humiliate a patient."

"_WHAT?"_ It was all L could do to not burst his gut from keeping his laughter inside.

"Yes. This Teru Mikami, let me repeat, TERU MIKAMI, is quite infatuated with young, naïve Raito-san. If you're not lucky, someone that obsessed like Teru Miakmi could easily…"

"_RAITO!!! GET OVER HERE THIS SECOND!"_ L held the phone at arm's length to protect his ears from hearing loss. _"Oh, thank you for the tip, L. RAITO! I'll get to work straight away after I deal with this… RAITO! I SWEAR-"_ The phone disconnected and L was greeted with two beeps before the line was silent.

He handed the phone back to a chuckling Watari. "Master L, I believe I while ago I said you were cruel."

"Yes, I remember that."

"I change my mind. You're malicious."

"I take that in stride, Watari," L answered, finishing off of the rest of his cake. "Do you have any more cake? Tiramisu, perhaps?"

Watari frowned but took the plate, nonetheless, "Of course, Master L."

* * *

Soichirro came in the next morning in a worse mood than yesterday, unbelievably. "What is wrong, Yagami-san?" L asked upon seeing the man. "Did you not find out information involving Erochikku Isha?"

"Oh, I found information about him, all right," the normally righteous and rational detective growled out at the laptop. "I found out all about him- him and his sick pleasures."

"May I see what Yagami-san as found that made him so upset?" L asked, trying to sound calm to not piss his future father-in-law off more than he already was. He knew his blunt attitude and unattached emotions could really send people over the edge. "Could you please send it to my email address?" Thirty seconds later, the chime of "You've got mail!!" rang from his computer speakers. L opened the file and bit his thumb as he read.

"_Erochikku Isha grew up motherless for his mother had died after childbirth. Her doctor was drunk and took her into the emergency room, positive she needed to have a heart transplant after delivery and forgot to numb and knock her out. His father, a hardworking carpenter, slaved day and night to support Isha and his brother. During work, Isha's father had gotten seriously injured; breaking his left leg in five places, tore a few ligaments and shattered his collarbone. The doctor, who was later revealed as a fraud, purposely screwed around with Isha's father, for his own sick pleasure. Isha's father had died, leaving ten year old Isha and his fourteen year old brother to defend for themselves. _

"_His brother, having a grudge against doctors for making him an orphan, conjured a plan to kill any doctors that messed up in the emergency room, even going as far as to work as a janitor in a hospital to keep an ear out for rumors. Isha's brother had killed managed to kill twenty before the detective Eraldo Coil caught him. Now, Isha has a need for revenge against doctors for killing his mother, father and giving his brother the need to avenge that resulted in his capture. He also cursed out his mother for ever having sex and bearing him. His mother worked as a bartender in a popular club and that was where she met Isha's father. They were together for five years before they got married and had Isha's older brother. His mother continued to work at the club until she died."_

L was satisfied, very satisfied, with the background. It answered so many questions, tied all the loose ends and made L feel a bit more confident about the case. He chose young and appealing people from bars because of his mother. He performed surgery on them because he wants them to know the pain his mother and father went through. Thinking back, L nearly slapped his face as he realized that all of the victims were going to college with a major in some area of the medical field. It was so completely obvious!

L still had one questioned unanswered. What was he trying to gain from killing college students? L could understand that he would kill students who were interested in medicine so they never achieved the title of doctor, surgeon, nurse, dentist, etc. He didn't understand, though, why Isha would kill them when, perhaps, they would grow up to be highly useful, noble professionals instead of killing the useless, drunkard doctors when they were the ones making the mistakes. And what did that lead to the doctors that did come in contact with…

L's eyes widened in fright as he grabbed the microphone and yelled into it, "Yagami-san! Why did you come in today with such a bad mood? Is it because…" Because Raito is a doctor and he takes in underground criminals?

"Why do you think, L?" Deputy Yagami asked, trying not to snap. "My son is a doctor, L. My son is Isha's doctor," L bit too hard on his lip and it began to bleed. "With that crazy man's bad past, it's only a ticking bomb's time until my Raito is in those horrible pictures of the massacred."

"My thoughts are exactly, Yagami-san," L whispered miserably. He really wished that he could prove him wrong, that Raito isn't a likely future victim, as Isha hadn't attacked any ACTUAL doctors but the fact that he's Isha's own doctor makes the percentages very high. L hadn't known that Raito was Isha's doctor but he wished he didn't as much as he was grateful for the new information.

"I don't know what to do, L," Yagami-san sighed, cradling his head in his hands. "I do not want to tell him he's in harm's way but he adores that clinic and his job more than his own health, sometimes. I have forced him to stay at my house, because that stalker down the hall makes me nervous and now I'm glad I did. I want him out of that clinic but I know he'll never listen to me."

"I believe, Yagami-san, that your son is a strong, healthy young man who can take care of himself if the problem does arise. Raito-kun does not seem like the man to trust criminals if Isha were to offer something to him, since I am sure he has experienced many of those occasions. And I will do everything in my power to protect him."

"Y-you're right, L," Soichirro lifted his head and smiled wearily back at him. L noticed slight bag under his eyes, the poor man probably stayed up all night in a fit of panic and worry over his son. "Thank you," he returned to his work, as did L, and they waited until the rest of the members of the Task Force arrived in twenty minutes to tell them of their depressing findings.

* * *

When L arrived at the doctor's clinic that Tuesday, he was surprised not to see Raito waiting for him. He tapped the blonde nurse on the shoulder. "Misa-chan, would you please tell me the location of Raito-kun?"

"Raito-sensei?" Misa repeated as if she didn't understand the language he was speaking. "Oh! Of course! You probably haven't heard yet but Raito is currently living at his parents' house for the time being. His father didn't trust Raito staying at his apartment with Teru Mikami living only three doors down. But since the Yagami's house is all the way down near Tokyo, it takes Raito-sensei an hour and a half to get here. He should be here soon, though!" Misa led him to the examination room. "Usually Raito-sensei doesn't come this late, even if he is staying far away. He must be stuck in traffic. Please wait here, Hideki-kun."

"Misa-chan does not wish to speak with me?" L asked, crooning his head to see Misa pushing against his back, "I feel very upset about that, Misa-chan. I thought we were friends."

"EH?!" Misa flustered, releasing his back, "Oh, er, y-yes of course we're friends, Hideki-kun!"

"But Misa-chan is so quick to dispose of me. Perhaps she is lying to my face?" L asked dejectedly with a small pout.

"Oh, no, Hideki-kun! Don't think that! It's Raito-sensei's fault!" she yelped, covering her mouth with her hand. But the damage was already done.

"Raito-kun's fault?" he stressed, "Why, Misa-chan, what do you mean?"

Misa's brown eyes widened for a second before she swiftly glanced over her shoulder, "Quick," she whispered, roughly pushing him into the examination room. "Before Kiyomi-chan comes out of the bathroom," she closed the door behind them. "Raito-sensei doesn't want Kiyomi-chan and I to speak to you."

"Why not?" he asked, eyes blinking for the added innocent affect.

"He… he's afraid we're gonna tell you some secret or something that will cause you to win the bet," she answered softly, playing with the hem of her pink shirt. She looked like she was half tempted to burst out of the room at any second.

"But what information could you possibly hold that would cause Raito-kun to lose the bet?"

"Like the fact that he's quite sensitive about the subject of… you know…" she trailed off, her face glowing.

L took in the information and smiled sweetly at the nervous girl, "Misa-chan is such a good friend to Raito-kun, holding in information like that. He must be really lucky to have a friend like you."

"Really?" she chirped, hands clapping, "You think so?"

"I know so, Misa-chan."

She jumped at him, throwing her arms around his waist, "Oh, Hideki-kun!" L gaped, resisting the urge to bolt away from her touch. "You're right! Raito-sensei is such a lucky guy to have a friend like Misa!"

L awkwardly patted the top of her head, "Yeah, how rude of him to keep us from this lovely conversation, no?"

Misa released his waist and oxygen was able to flow back into his lungs. "You're right. Raito-sensei shouldn't keep friends apart!" she nodded, blond pigtails flying.

"Shouldn't you be going now? Kiyomi-chan must be done with her bathroom break by now."

Her eyes widened again, "Oh gosh! Lovely chatting with you Hideki-kun! Raito-sensei should be here soon!" she slammed the door shut.

L hopped onto the examination table. He replayed the newly given information. He smirked, whistling a merry tune. Looks like a change of plans is in order…

In no more than five minutes later, he heard Raito running into the office. "I'm sorry I'm late," he huffed, "Thank you, Kiyomi-chan, for opening today on such short notice."

"You're welcome, Raito-sensei. Hideki-kun has arrived."

"He has? And you two left him alone in the room?" L sniggered to himself quietly as Raito cursed. He heard a slamming noise and predicted that the sound was Raito chucking his briefcase onto the counter. The slamming was followed by a couple of stomps to the examination room where they paused briefly (L guessed the hot headed Raito was trying to get his cool) and he slowly opened the door.

"Hello Ryuu-"

"Thank goodness you're here doctor!" L shouted uncharacteristically loud, pretending he was in a soap opera, "I appear to have a genital wart!"

"-ga…" The door was slammed behind him. L blinked at the now empty room.

"Was it something I said?"

"Raito-sensei!" he heard Misa chirp, seeing the doctor on the other side of the door. "What are you doing out here?"

"All right, who spilt?" he growled venomously, "One of you two talked to him today. Which one was it?"

"Er…" he heard Misa splutter, "What do you mean, Raito-sensei?"

"You know perfectly well, Misa-chan. The secret you know about my patient's…"

"It wasn't me!"

"Me neither."

"Well who did then?"

"Hideki-kun is smart, Raito-sensei. He might have figured it out all on his own. And you know as well as Misa-chan and I that he does not have a wart."

"…Possibly…"

" So, get back in there and examine Hideki-kun!"

"Fuck no. This is one thing I will not touch."

"What about the bet?"

"I do not have to treat his 'wart' to win the bet. The bet was that I wouldn't fall in love with him by the end of four weeks. Not helping him, in fact, is only helping me win the bet."

"He's in there right now smirking himself to death because he got you all riled up! Look at the blush!"

"I am not blushing."

"Ryuuga Hideki's penis. … HAHAHA!!! Raito-sensei, you're blushing worse than a high school girl's first time!"

"Do you want to be fired Misa-chan?"

"… Not particularly, no."

"Then shut up."

"Raito-sensei," L heard Kiyomi say. "Just go along with it. Please finish the check up."

Raito sighed and reentered the room. He looked at L with a cynical eye. "I hate you."

"Ah, that is most depressing, Raito-kun, because I care very much about you. Now, we will not discuss my 'genital wart' because, although this may come as a surprise to you, Raito-kun, but I do not have one."

"You don't have a genital wart, Ryuuga? I would have never guessed!" Raito growled in mock astonishment.

"I thank Raito-kun for humoring me. You know that stunt was payback for giving me Viagra last week."

"You got your revenge by locking me in a bathroom after shoving Viagra down my throat with your tongue!"

"Hmm, now why does it feel like that wasn't the first time I heard of a situation similar to that one?" L smirked. "Is it true that Raito-kun is living with his father?"

Raito's sadistic playful mask was gone, only to be replaced with his true angry emotions. "Misa-chan told you, then?" L nodded. "My father got a tip from the '_Great Detective' L_ that I have a stalker living three doors down from my apartment. He blew up and is forcing me to stay at his house until he can find me a new building to live in."

"I must say, Raito-kun, your father made it onto my good side," L couldn't ignore the sarcastic tone in the way Raito said his profession title.

"Figures. He's gone crazy though. He almost didn't let me come to work today. You see, Misa-chan had told my sister about you and my father overheard Sayu talking about you and your stalker-like obsession and the bet to get me into your bed."

"Ah, but, Raito-kun, the bet is to win over your heart."

"Same thing in your mind. The point is that I'm being driven crazy at home and at work. I miss my apartment; there were no overprotective fathers, obnoxious sisters, noisy mothers, and no stalkers," he said, shooting L an accusing look.

"Except the one three doors down."

"Well, yes, but that's what locks and death threats are for."

"If Raito-kun would take my suggestion, I agree with Yagami-san. It is for your best health. Surely, you've heard of the Doctor Fraud Cases?"

"Yeah, the guy who takes his victims from a bar, drugs them up, and performs surgery on them while they're alive and conscious? My father is on the team investigating them. What about it?"

"Does Raito-kun know who the perpetrator is?"

"No, my father refuses to let me in on it," his voice held a hint of a sardonic scoff.

"His name is Erochikku Isha, one of your patients."

"Isha-san?" Raito repeated in shellshock. "Why, he was here just nearly three months ago and again two months prior. About the time when my… oh fuck. That's about the time when my medical books disappeared. I noticed they were gone about two or three days after his appointment."

"Would Raito-kun be willing to share what had gone on in those two sessions?" L inquired, leaning forward onto the tops of his toes, peering down at the doctor.

"Unless you're a detective or policeman working on the case, I am obligated to keep my patient's privacy."

"Even if they are a crazy mass murderer who could possibly be stopped with the information you have?"

"I never said I wouldn't tell anyone. I would tell any member on the case."

"Why didn't you tell your father then?"

Raito crossed his arms on his chest in a huff, "He doesn't want me to know anything about the case. So as far as I'm concerned I know nothing about the case. And besides, how could I tell my father about Isha-san when I just learned about him being the criminal two minutes ago?"

"Point taken. I happen to know the background of Isha and he has a bad past with doctors. It frightens me to know that Raito-kun is his doctor. That passionate maniac can very easily switch his attention from bar goers who are studying medicine to real doctors in a split second. This is why I suggest you stay at your father's house until he is under arrest and locked up safely in jail," he ordered behind the thumb at his lip.

Raito studied his face for a couple of seconds before smiling softly, "You truly are worried, aren't you? About me?"

"Of course," L said, removing his thumb from his lip. "It would be a shame to lose Raito-kun before I actually got to –what do kids call it these days? - 'tap that'."

A twitching vein on his forehead was the only warning L got before Raito's fist was in his face. "You most definitely won't be getting to 'tap that' with an attitude like that, you bastard! You're a terrible romantic!"

"What a shame that Raito-kun would think that," L moved around Raito's second fist and kicked him in the stomach. "I want to take him out on a date next week."

"A date?" Raito growled, clutching his bruised stomach. "What a romantic way to ask somebody- insult them, kick them, and then ask them out! You're losing your opportunity points quick, Ryuuga."

L was lucky the brunette decided not to attack back, "Once is once, Raito-kun. It's a motto of mine. I thought it was a decent way of asking somebody out. I got straight to the point and it allows you to know exactly what's going on. Beating around the bush will only lead to problems and misunderstandings," L jumped off of the examination table and his back cracked as it straightened out. He looked down upon Raito with an askew smile. "The bet ends after next Tuesday, Raito-kun. I've got one week to make you fall in love with me. So far the result has been…"

"Failure," Raito finished for him with a superior glow.

"Yes, I expected you would say that. Although, Raito-kun didn't seem to object too much last week when I-"

"You tricked me into guilt, you bastard!"

"It still remains fact that Raito-kun came willingly into the bathroom with me." L stole the superior glow Raito had lost after the previous comment and gloated it back at him. "Would Raito-kun be willing to attend a date with me? Next Tuesday?"

"Does that include a doctor check up?"

"Not unless I somehow get sick over the next seven days."

"A date, huh?" Raito asked, looking as if he were seriously considering it, something L didn't think he would do. "I've told you before that I've been on plenty of dates in the past and never once enjoyed myself. Do you think you can break the monotony?" Raito shot him a quick wink as his voice slipped into a seductive pitch.

"I'm confident in my abilities," L answered, sliding closer to Raito's body. He snaked his long arms around his waist and silently rejoiced when Raito, did not pull back but, moved in. "Have I failed to entertain Raito-kun yet?"

"No. Ryuuga is a very intelligent and interesting man but he lacks in the romantic field. Will he be able to use his creativity to make up for the lack of romance, I wonder?"

"I am quite skilled in creating things as I go along," L purred when Raito fingered his hair. "Something romantic will strike me."

Raito took another step closer and rose to the tops of his toes. "You know…" he muttered sensually against L's ear. "You shouldn't get so cocky before the bet is over." Raito gave the hair in his hand a sharp tug before releasing him. He stepped backwards and kept a good distance between the two. "What time should I expect you next week?" His sensual voice was switched back to his business tone.

"I believe two in the afternoon is a good idea," L said, putting a thumb to his lip and returned to his hunched back stance. "There are so many options for us to choose from."

"Don't blow a circuit thinking," he commented. "So I shall see you next week? Goodbye then…" he stopped as he felt a hand clutch at his doctor coat. "Ryuuga?"

"I was serious, Raito-kun, when I said I wanted you to stay at your father's house. I also do not want you to be alone anymore, inside or outside. If anything happened to you, I would blame myself. I…"

L froze as a pair of lips brushed against his cheek. His wide eyes stared at the slightly flushed doctor. Raito smiled at him, "Thank you." He spun on his heel and walked out of the room. L raised a hand to his cheek and laughed quietly to himself.

That bet was as good as won.

* * *

L felt his grip on reality slip as he looked at the next slaughtered victim of Erochikku Isha. His heart pounded almost painfully in his chest and his breathing constricted to the point of near fainting from lack of oxygen. His hands clutched at his knees in hopes of holding himself together but he felt his body shaking with fear he's never known. "W-Watari…" He muttered pathetically, voice barely above a whisper.

Watari was at his side in seconds, a large variety of cakes, cookies, custards, pies, and pastries placed next to his desk. L never noticed them, his eyes and brain focused solely on the pictures in front of him. "L? L? L, please answer me!" Watari called. He was frightened that if he touched his young employer he would shatter like a glass doll. L couldn't bring himself to speak again and Watari sped into the other room to make a call.

No, no, no, no… L shook his head, hoping that it would blur the fake pictures. But, these were not fake pictures. They were taken this morning, in the warehouse where a certain twenty four year old boy with auburn hair has been mutilated. L didn't know what this victim's name was or anything else about him, only the fact that he looked like someone very near and dear to him.

There was no way to ignore the facts. The only clues Isha had ever left were greatly obvious, even to a five year old. L prayed that Isha had no secret meaning behind this.

If what L saw was true, Raito Yagami would be a future victim.

The victim had died with a number of freeze burns, chemical burned holes, holes removed via scalpel, and electrical burns mostly on his penis and on his back. On his penis, the holes were random but on his back, they were purposely placed in a perfect order. It was a picture of a night scene under a moon of a crucifix. Moon, night, god-Raito Yagami.

L let out a choked cry, tears frightening to streak his pale face. He grabbed a slice of cake and ate it rapidly. He snatched another and then another and another. Watari returned six minutes later to find all twenty six desserts gone. "W-Watari…" he sobbed, "Raito is endangered. I-I…"

"Please do not worry, Master L," Watari consoled, placing his hands on L's shoulders and giving him a massage. "I have called Yagami-san to inform him of last night's killings and the clue left behind. He is making sure that young Yagami-sensei will be kept safe at all costs."

"I-I don't trust him," he whispered, shaking harder. "I do not trust Raito with anyone but myself. I need him here, to know that he will be o-okay."

"No, L," Watari answered. "Isha is probably keeping watch on Yagami-sensei. If he were to suddenly disappear, Isha would know and act upon it. And if he finds him with you, your life could be endangered too."

"I don't mind if my life is endangered,"he said softly. "As long as Raito is alive and safe, I will be fine."

Watari's grip on his shoulders tightened painfully, "I do not want to hear that kind of talk coming from you, Lawliet. We will work from behind the scenes to ensure Yagami-sensei's safety but I will not allow you to risk your life so carelessly. It's a wonder why I'm still allowing this date to occur in four days."

L was silent, staring mournfully at the victim's back. Watari released his back and poured a large cup of coffee with extra sugar. It was going to be a long night after all.

"I think… I love him, Watari," L whispered so quietly, it was almost missed completely. "I truly and honestly believe that. I love him."

Watari smiled softly and handed L his sugar saturated coffee.

"I'm glad."

* * *

L saying 'tap that' is pure win. My two friends were talking and friend A said, looking at a cute teacher, "I'd tap that" and friend B says, "What's 'tap that' mean?" Now, friend B is one of the top ten students at our school, and we've got a lot of smart students, so it's not like he's a complete dunce from the world. Just in terms of slang. Friend A never lets friend B live it down.

This chapter is slightly longer than the others, did you realize? Chapter ten is longer! Chapter nine however... is really short. So short I was going to stick it in either chapter eight or ten. But ten's long enough and I like how chapter eight ends. Just a heads up as to what's to come within the next week or so.

I like gummy worms and peach rings. Please send them along with a review. I like to hear predictions.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

oh- L's problem is capturing Isha. Which sounds lame because he's L and he should be able to capture him since he knows he's guilty but it drags the story longer which is what I want?

Hello, hello! I am back! Happy Memorial Day to all! And if you don't celebrate Memorial Day, well then, happy day! This chapter is short and has no L, whatsoever. You may or may not have noticed that all of the point of views has either been in L's or Watari's. Raito's is the only person whose point of view is one I don't want to touch yet. He'll get his point of view soon enough, and you'll wish we went back to L's. YAY!

Thank you to all who reviewed! And if you didn't, review now so you can redeem yourself.

* * *

No matter how hard Soichirro argued with his son, it was almost pointless to convince the workaholic to stay home. He had just gotten word from Watari that his son is endangered and once L was ready, he would talk with him in a more detailed manner. As a police officer, Soichirro felt dread before- dread for his life, for Sachiko, for his job and for his kids. But never before had dread ate at his stomach like it had that moment Watari informed him of the picture on the victim's back. It was all his fault, he repeated to himself. He had persuaded Raito with his goal in medicine. He had persuaded Raito to work with underground patients. He had persuaded Raito to live on his own. He had persuaded Raito to…

Soichirro shook his head, flinging the pessimistic thoughts from his head, as he stared down his determined son. Even if it cost him his life, Soichirro would not allow Raito to become another victim to a worthless criminal.

"Raito, you are not going to work today," he ordered for the tenth time that day, "Even if I have to lock you in your room with a surveillance camera, you will not go to work."

"I'm needed, Father," Raito insisted, "Those people need me. They could be dying of a disease or have a broken arm! Today could be the day that balances between life and death."

"It could be that day with your life on the line! That crazy doctor killer has struck again and-"

"The crazy doctor killer whom you kept me in the dark about?" Raito hissed back, "I know that Erochikku Isha-san is the culprit. You know that he is my patient. A little knowledge like that would be very important to my wellbeing, don't you agree?"

Soichirro sighed, "I know that it wasn't the greatest decision to keep you out of the case, especially since it involves your patient but I didn't want you to deal with this. It's too stressful to a doctor."

"Being a doctor is stressful, Father."

"I realize that but please understand that…" the sound of a faint vibration stopped him from completing his sentence.

"Oh, that's mine," Raito said apologetically, taking his phone out of his pocket. "Please excuse me. Hello?" he asked into the phone. "Yes? Good morning, Kiyomi-chan. How are you…? What?" he paused listening to the girl talk. His eyes widened. "Has it truly? Okay, thank you. Yes, you too. Goodbye Kiyomi-chan," he closed his phone with a small smile on his face.

The last time Soichirro saw a smile like that, it was when the boy was seven and still naïve against the cruelty of the world.

"Well, Father," Raito said, four seconds later, "It appears that I am not going to work after all. All of my appointments were canceled."

"Canceled?" he repeated, "How?"

"Just a concerned friend is all," Raito smiled again and retreated back into his room. Soichirro pondered this.

"A friend? Since when has that boy found someone worthy to call a friend?"

* * *

"Hello, Hello! Misa-Misa's house!"

"Hello Misa-chan, this is Kiyomi."

"Kiyomi-chan! Do we have another day off today?"

"Yes, all of the patients canceled, again. I have all ready contacted Raito-sensei."

"What did Mr. Workaholic say to that?"

"He actually took it just fine. Accepted it even."

"WHAT? Raito-sensei accepted no work again? I would expect him to march to the clinic and sit there all day, waiting for somebody or something! It's been five days!"

"Well, you know how easily bored he gets on Tuesdays before and after Hideki-kun leaves."

"He's awfully entertained when Hideki-kun is there though. Did you hear Raito-sensei address Hideki-kun by his given name? And no honorifics either! He doesn't talk to anybody with that formality!"

"Yes, Hideki-kun is quite the interesting person."

"Hey, Kiyomi-chan? What do you think of the bet? Do you think Raito-sensei will win?"

"Yes, I don't think Hideki-kun will be able to pull it off. He's making Raito-sensei so frustrated with his intolerable visits and fake illnesses. He's going at it all wrong. One date will not change anything."

"I don't think so."

"You, Misa-chan? You're on Hideki-kun's side? I thought you were in love with Raito-sensei."

"Well, he obviously doesn't like me back and Raito-sensei deserves someone who is capable of keeping him happy, entertained and loved. You and Raito-sensei may not see it, but I see the way Hideki-kun's face lights up when he sees him and the way his lips automatically twists into a small smile. Just from his eyes, I can see that Ryuuga Hideki-kun loves him even more than I do. Hideki-kun is a smart guy; he can pull this date off."

"That's sweet, Misa-chan."

"And maybe Hideki-kun will finally get that stick out of his ass by sticking something else up there! HAHAHA! Then maybe Raito-sensei wouldn't be so mean all the time! Genius!"

"…"

"Go Hideki-kun! Misa-Misa is rooting for you!!"

"… Why did I not see this coming?"

* * *

Told you it was short.

I would like to hear how you're liking the story so far! Or not liking it. I love hearing from you! Review or else you're not getting the date chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

So yes, the date chapter. I'm terribly sorry if it disappoints. It might, it's not incredibly exciting but it's long. That's what matters, right? So summer's almost here and for some of you it's already begun. Well aren't you lucky? Just a week and a half! Although that means finals.

A big thanks to my reviewers! Seriously, without you guys, I wouldn't have a hobby as I realized by my sociology project. So keep my hobby alive! Reivew!

* * *

"L?" Watari entered the room after knocking on the door. "Are you awake?" The detective stirred from his awkward position on his chair. He rubbed his eyes and looked groggily at the elder man. "Today is Tuesday," he said, pouring a cup of coffee to help L wake up. "I believe you know what that means."

"Today is my date with Raito-kun," L nodded, slowly reviving. "Today is the last day of the bet." Watari wordlessly handed him the cup of coffee, sugar already input. "Watari, do you think I can win this? Do you think I can make Raito-kun fall in love with me?"

"This is rare of you, asking somebody for their opinion."

L's eyes widened a bit as if in shock. He bit his thumb and looked down at the reflection of himself in the coffee. "You are right, Watari. This is different. Please excuse me."

Watari smiled and handed him an éclair from the tray. "I believe you will do just fine, L. You can do this."

L stared at the pastry before taking it. He looked up at Watari's encouraging smile. "Thank you, Watari."

"Now enough moping around, you've got to get ready for your date!" Watari said walking toward the windows and yanking open the curtains. The sunshine struck L's eyes harshly. "It is a beautiful day outside, a perfect day for a date! Come and see for yourself, Ryuuzaki!"

"It would be beneficial for my eye's sake that you would warn me before flinging the curtains open." L muttered, blinking at the sunlight.

"It wouldn't have to be beneficial if you did your eyes a favor and don't force them to look at a computer screen in complete darkness for three days straight," the old man countered. "Do you have any idea what you are planning to do with Yagami-sensei today?"

"Absolutely none."

"What have you been doing in the past three days in the dark then?" he asked in disbelief. "Stalking Yagami-sensei through street cameras?"

L bit his thumb, trying to seem as innocent as possible, "You're just as good as Raito-kun at figuring me out. I must be losing my skills."

"I know you are worried, L, but I do not think Isha will attack him on the street with lots of witnesses in the middle of the afternoon."

"One can never be too sure," he said around his thumb. "It didn't mean anything in the end. Raito-kun never left his father's house. Deputy Yagami said that Raito-kun barely leaves his room except for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And the street camera outside his room shows that he has not snuck out of his bedroom window. I wonder what he is doing in there…"

"Probably mentally preparing himself for this date of yours," Watari jested, collecting L's dirty dishes clustered around the computer. He spotted L's displeased glare. "Don't get all pouty at me. If I was in his position, that's exactly what I would be doing, especially since you didn't plan any of this out. Yagami-sensei is expecting a mind blowing date and you're blowing it off!"

"I figured it would be funnier to Raito-kun if I made the activities off of the top of my head. Men and women probably plan their dates with him for weeks in advance, maybe even some who never actually got the privilege, so it might be more interesting to Raito-kun if I answered his question about what I had planned with a 'Have yet to decide.' Do you agree?"

"I think you're off your rocker, that's what," Watari chuckled, "It is currently twelve. We have two hours to get you ready and arrive at the Yagami residence."

L stretched his knotted back. "What do you mean 'get ready'? I am ready," he and Watari looked down at his sloppy attire that he's been wearing for the past four days with cake, ice cream, chocolate and coffee spilt down the front. "I guess I should change…"

"You might want to do that."

* * *

"… Is that what you're wearing?" was the first thing Raito said upon opening the door.

"I don't get a hello or a kiss?" L asked.

"Not when you're wearing the same dumb clothes you wear every day."

"That's a shame. Raito-kun will just have to settle with these clothes." L leaned forward, going in for a kiss.

"No! We're leaving before my family gets home," Raito ordered, pushing L out toward the car. "They don't know that I'm going on a date with a patient of mine. And they'll have a fit if they learn it's the infamous crazy stalker patient. I'll be on house arrest for the rest of my life," he spotted the fancy limo outside of his parents' house. "You rented a limo for our date?" he asked distastefully.

"Of course not, this is my own limo. I was going to bring one of the twenty sports cars but I figured a limo would give us more privacy."

Raito muttered, "Like we need privacy… I should have known you were rich, Ryuuga. Who else would be willing to run up an expensive doctor bill?"

"Please to not address me as Ryuuga Hideki anymore, please Raito-kun," L said, opening the limo door for the doctor. He slid in after Raito and signaled Watari to leave. "I picked that alias for reasons that are unimportant and now wish I hadn't. Please call me Ryuuzaki."

"That's still an alias though, isn't it?" Raito asked.

"Of course. Perhaps later I shall share my name…?"

"Wouldn't matter because this is the last day we shall see each other. Where are we going anyway?"

"I have yet to decide," L proudly exclaimed as if he's been practicing it for three hours straight before he arrived.

"You didn't pick out anything? That's one of the most idiotic…"

"Ah! I got it!" L tapped on the window separating the driver from the passengers. "Watari, please take us to the park. I believe all the equipment we need is in the back."

"Very good, sir."

Raito waited until the window was up before making his comment, "Why did your grandfather just call you 'sir'?"

"That is because Watari is not my grandfather. He is my most loyal companion."

"Is today 'Spill Out All Your Secrets Day'? Because I'm not falling for it, you know," the doctor huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It might just be, Raito-kun." L answered with a crooked smile. He knocked on the window again, "Watari, please turn on some music." The window rolled up and soon loud music filled the limo.

"… Ryuuzaki? Why are you playing such… suggestive music?"

"I think it is catchy," he smiled as he started to sing off key to the song. "Join me Raito-kun!"

"No thank you."

"Do you not know the lyrics? It's easy to learn them. They repeat the same sentence almost the entire song."

"I know the song, Ryuuzaki."

"Did why doesn't Raito-kun sing along? I find this song quite like our life story."

"I do not think our life story revolves around the song, 'Shut Up and Sleep With Me'."

* * *

"I fail to see what is so funny, Raito-kun," L commented, shifting the bag on his shoulder. He stared, unamused, at the laughing doctor.

"We're playing tennis?" he wheezed out in between laughs, thinking tennis was the funniest thing since the original slip on a banana peel routine.

"Yes, of course. It is one of the very few exercises that I enjoy. Does Raito-kun not enjoy tennis?" L opened the tennis court door and allowed Raito to pass.

"You hacked into the NPA computer system to look at my personal file and you didn't even notice that I was the Junior High Champion?"

"Of 1999, yes I did notice, that's why I figured Raito-kun would enjoy a game of tennis," he handed him a racket. Raito took it and practiced swinging it around as if it has been ages since he last played.

"Do you think you can beat me? Or we here just for you to swell my pride?" Raito asked, gripping the racket.

"I believe Raito-kun's pride is swollen enough. I used to be the British Junior Champion," L answered taking his own racket, holding it normally unlike he did with everything else.

"British? You grew up in England?"

"I lived there for five years, yes,"

"Then you must be really good," he had a new determination in his caramel eyes. "It's been so long since I've had any real competition."

"I hope I am able to entertain Raito-kun enough," L noticed an empty court. "Let's use that one. We'll play three rounds. Best two out of three." L and Raito parted to their own respective sides of the court.

L bounced the ball once, twice before throwing it high in the air and, with a loud 'SMACK', struck it across the court. Raito had barely enough time to register the ball before sending it back toward his partner's side of the court.

* * *

"You… are a very good… player, Ryuuzaki…" Raito huffed out, shaking L's hand at the end of the game. "I didn't expect to lose…" Their game consisted of a continuous and partially never ending valley between the two and lasted nearly two hours. After twenty minutes of playing, a crowd had started to form and a betting table had started.

"I practice once every two weeks, if job permitted. While Raito-kun is also a very skilled player, he was a bit clumsy in the beginning before his grace appeared again. He must not practice that often. When was the last time you played?"

"1999," he admitted, "Tennis is no fun when you don't have a good partner to play against."

"Yes, I know the feeling," Raito handed L his racket and he stuffed his and Raito's in the bag. "I saw a chess table walking here, would you like to go? Chess is another subject where I can never find a worthy rival."

"I am also very good at chess," Raito boasted as he and L took a small pathway through the park. The park was small with lots of trees, bushes and flower gardens and a dirt pathway that spread out through the entire lot. They took a sharp turn to the left and spotted a chess table underneath a large oak tree.

"I, naturally, am also good at chess," L bragged back. He sat on the concrete chair and pulled his knees up to his chest. Raito rolled his eyes as he took the opposing chair.

"You can't sit normally ever, can you?"

"Perhaps I shall sit 'normally' later, Raito-kun. But this is chess and it requires the forty percent of reasoning ability that I would lose if I sit as you do."

"There is no way that your statement is correct. Has this ever been tested? Is actually proved that if you don't sit like a freak you'll lose forty percent of your reasoning ability?"

"Actually, yes," he answered pulling out a chess set from the drawer of the table. "I was given two different tests that, like an IQ test, would test my reasoning ability. I scored forty percent higher with my legs up," he held up two kings. "Pick your side, Raito-kun, black or white?" Raito plucked the black one from his fingers. "Black, Raito-kun? How interesting."

"I fail to see how it's interesting. It's black. I figured you would like the white one because it matches your shirt."

"The main reason why I like white is because it goes first. Another motto of mine is: 'He who moves first always wins.'"

"Do you really believe that?" Raito asked almost mockingly as he set up his pieces.

"I struck first in tennis and I was the victor, so, yes."

Raito grit his teeth and glared, "Don't think that's going to happen again. I'll cream you, Ryuuzaki."

"We shall see about that, Raito-kun," he said with a confident smile and picked up a white pawn.

* * *

"Checkmate," Raito laughed victoriously, reclining back in his seat. L scanned the board for a way to free his king but he had indeed lost and nodded his head. "What was that motto of yours again, Ryuuzaki? 'He who moves first always wins?' I think not."

"It was correct for our tennis match," L answered, with an attempt to strike Raito's inflated head with a needle.

"That was a game of physical power; chess is a game of intellects. That means I'm smarter than you! Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!" he mocked, sticking out his tongue.

"Raito-kun acts like a three year old when he wins. I must make sure that doesn't happen again," L mused, as he cleared off the table and sloppily threw the pieces back into the drawer. "Let us continue, Raito-kun."

"Where to next?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious, "Another game?"

L bit his thumb, looking at the clouds. "I really don't know yet, Raito-kun. This date is all completely spontaneous. And before Raito-kun asks, no, he is not allowed to suggest anything."

Raito closed his mouth, embarrassed for being caught, "Well, you better figure it out soon. Walking around the part isn't the number one thing on my list."

As L looked toward the city of Tokyo, he spotted a billboard ad, "Raito-kun enjoys history and art, correct?"

"Yes. Why?" Raito noticed the advertisement, "An art museum? That's our next stop?"

"Yes. Raito-kun said he likes history and art and I've always wanted to attend such a place, so I think it is a perfect place to attend."

* * *

"I'm afraid I do not know much about art, Raito-kun. For that, I apologize," L muttered around his thumb. Raito paused in between gawking at the pictures.

"You have no need to apologize, Ryuuzaki. I don't know much about art, I just know how to appreciate it," the doctor answered and turned back toward the portrait of _'Woman Taken in Adultery'_ by Guercino. "I don't know the background his this portrait, only the fact that it's based off of the Bible passage about a woman who committed adultery and Jesus saved her from being stoned. All other aspects are lost to me but I can realize its beauty and significance."

"If it were up to me, we would be looking at pictures of candy," L nodded as he looked upon the solemn face of the woman.

"There won't be any in this museum," Raito rolled his caramel eyes. "This is history, not the Wonka Factory. What's with the sugar obsession anyway? You're going to work yourself into a diabetic coma one of these days because of it."

L bit his thumb once more before removing it from his lip. "I suppose you could say that candy to me is what religion is to others."

"A way of life?"

"No, more of a saving, I guess one could put it. Religion has saved people before from depression, drugs, alcohol, and, bad habits before just like sugar has saved myself from losing grip on reality and becoming robotic."

"Robotic?"

"My job requires a strong will to be able to put up with the long hours, stressful topics and relentless demands. Most break under pressure. I was taught to channel my stress through an object. I know people who have chosen objects such as toys, chocolate, video games and strawberry jelly. I have two, one of them being my obsession with sugar."

"And the other?"

"Top secret," he hummed joyfully, enjoying the juvenile game of hiding a secret from friends and proceeding to mock them. "Without sugar, I probably would have cracked as well. If Raito-kun had to have an object that is equivalent to my sugar, what would it be?"

"I won't tell you that," Raito replied with a copied sing-song voice that L had just used against him. "I barely know you, Ryuuzaki. First you tell me your name is Ryuuga Hideki then you tell me it was an alias and to call you another alias you randomly picked. I don't think your first name starts with an R at all."

"It does not," he nodded.

"I know nothing about you! You hack into the NPA files to learn about me then give me little to nothing in return. I know you have a stressful job, you enjoy sweets to the point where it makes me, as your doctor, want to increase your health insurance, you lived in England for five years where you got the title of British Junior Champion, play chess very well and have a lot of money."

"That's more than most people know about me. Raito-kun should feel privileged to hold so much information about me."

"It's barely anything!"

"I'm a secretive person, Raito-kun."

"That's the understatement of the century!"

"I have been giving Raito-kun pieces of my life throughout this date. I figured it would be easier for Raito-kun to love me if he knew me better. By the end of the date, you'll be given more tidbits."

"Like your name?"

"I might," L mumbled and started to walk down the corridor, out of the Baroque period and into the Italian Renaissance period. Raito followed with a small frown. "Do you like this painting, Raito-kun?"

The doctor snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the picture on the wall. "_'The Creation of Adam'_? This isn't the original portrait; the original is one the roof of the Sistine Chapel."

"I wasn't quizzing Raito-kun on his knowledge of the artwork. I asked if it was appealing to him or not."

"I suppose it's an interesting concept. I really don't believe that the entire human race started from Adam and Eve. There are some people who believe in the story, though, so God had to create the two of them somehow."

"The story of Adam also has an apple in it, much like our own, Raito-kun," L bit this thumb again, his wide eyes taking in every detail of the painting. "It was the fruit of forbidden while the apple you're forcing me to eat represents nothing but Raito-kun trying to keep himself away from me."

"Healthy. I'm trying to make you healthy. You can replace your 'object' with apples, can't you?" Raito growled out.

"No, I'm afraid I cannot. I have quite the addiction to sugar as of now. I've been through some particularly terrible withdrawal symptoms. Those apples of yours are nothing but trouble for me," L paused and took a step back from the painting to get a better view of it as a whole. "I can see it now!" L cried overdramatically, drawing attention from the art lovers in the room. "Raito-kun is holding up his poisonous apple up to a god! A death god! Because that's where apples will lead you, straight to _death_!"

Raito quickly covered the detective's mouth with his hand and smiled apologetically at the rest of the crowd. "I'm incredibly sorry about my patient. He suffers from schizophrenia and has terrible hallucinations about apples. As his doctor, I thought it would be nice for him to see some art but it looks as if I were mistaken. Please excuse us," he laughed sheepishly before dragging L to a secluded part of the museum. "To you they might lead to death, but to every _normal_ human being the in the world, they're a healthy part of their diet. Don't you know how to act in public?" he hissed quietly, his hot chocolate eyes fuming.

"I don't go out in public much, so I suppose I don't," L answered truthfully. Raito slapped his palm to his forehead and soon his shoulders started to shake. Before L got a chance to ask him what was wrong, the young doctor burst out in the laughter, tears leaving streaks down his butterscotch colored cheeks. "Raito-kun? I fail to see what is so humorous, Raito-kun."

"Here I am, a gorgeous wealthy doctor who could get anybody I wanted, on a date with an awkward social retard whom I know absolutely nothing about including his name and job!" Raito laughed, wiping away a tear.

"Once again, I see no humor in our situation, Raito-kun," he pouted at the doctor's adjectives of himself. "I do not find myself to be an 'awkward social retard'."

"If you knew how people normally act and then take a step back to see how you behave, you'll see a big difference," Raito snickered, trying to stop his impolite laughter. "I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki. I didn't mean to act so cruelly. I shouldn't have laughed at you."

"It is quite alright Raito-kun. I am used to it, I suppose," L muttered back and started his walk to the Romanticism corridor.

* * *

Nearly three hours later, L and Raito left the art museum gossiping to themselves about their favorite art pieces. L noticed it was only eight, about an hour and a half before the time of their dinner reservation. He grabbed onto Raito's hand and dragged him in the opposite direction, back toward the park. L led him into the middle of the park where there was a spacious rose garden. Raito gawked at its beauty, mouthing an "Oh my god…"

The rose garden had no pathway, letting the wanderer explore throughout the sanctuary and gaze upon the tens of thousands of roses. Bushes upon bushes lined around and throughout the garden with bright roses peaking out of the green. Archways with rose vines crawling up them led into the garden. The setting sun set an eerily glow among the flowers.

"Do you like it?" L asked quietly even though they were the only ones there. "I used to go to rose gardens when I was little. They are exceptionally beautiful at sun rise and sun set." Raito silently nodded. L smiled and took the doctor's silence as an invitation to wrap his skinny arms around him.

"Ryuuzaki?" Raito asked in surprise.

L moved his lips toward Raito's ear and nibbled gently. "Raito-kun…" he whispered seductively. "You're… IT!"

Raito barely had time to register what L was doing before he felt a tap at his shoulder and saw the detective running further into the rose garden. "Ryuuzaki!" Raito yelled after him. "I refuse to play this childish game with you!"

"Raito-kun does not need to act so poise in an empty park," L teased, skidding to a stop. "Surely he can drop his pride and play a simple game of tag with me."

"Why would I do that?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest, "Tag is such a juvenile game. I haven't played tag since I was five."

L smiled at him, "I have never played tag before." Raito's eyes widened a bit, as if the tidbit of information the detective gave him actually struck a cord inside of him. L saw that flicker of consideration and drew it out farther by sticking his tongue out playfully at him. "Raito-kun believes he cannot do it. He doesn't think he'll be able to catch me. He must be like a sloth, so lazy and slow. He- Oh shit…" with that L sped away from a charging Raito.

"Get back here, Ryuuzaki, and say that to my face!"

"Raito-kun will hurt me if I do so I must keep running!"

"Don't think jumping over rose bushes will give you any lead! I'm just as good of a runner as you are!"

"Raito-kun is faster than I hoped he was. This is rather unfortunate."

"Yeah, for you it is!"

L leaped over a rose bush, only to get the hem of his jeans caught on a thorn. He tugged at it furiously but Raito was too close behind him, so close the doctor didn't have enough reaction time to avoid him. As he jumped over the bush, he collided into L and the jeans ripped causing the detective to fall off balanced. They tumbled down a small hill and landed in a heap of tangled limps at the bottom.

Raito's caramel eyes widened when he noticed the position they were in- L on top of him, lying in between his spread out legs and his hands were around his waist. If the doctor didn't know any better, he would have thought that L did this on purpose. Raito removed his own hands from L's neck and pushed on his chest. "Get off, Ryuuzaki!"

L grabbed Raito's hands and rolled off of him but leaned in close to his body. He held their hands together and intertwined their fingers, holding them over his heart. L laid his head on Raito's shoulder and sighed contently, "I hope Raito-kun does not mind if we stay like this for just a moment. I have never been to a rose garden with someone before, despite how many times I have been to one, and never realized how… enjoyable it is."

Raito continued to struggle for a short time before he gave up completely. He stared absent mindedly at the darkening sky. "Did you go to rose gardens in England?"

"Yes. They are quite popular there and there was one near the place I stayed in. It was much larger and grander than this one and it is the only thing I miss about England."

"You said you went there alone?"

"Raito-kun is full of questions today," L chuckled.

"That's because you never mention anything about your past until today and I'm simply taking the opportunity and running with it," Raito answered.

"Yes, you have a point," he muttered as he started to play with the hem of the doctor's shirt, "I stayed in an orphanage while I was in England. The other kids there were very intelligent, although not nearly as much as myself, and quite rude. They saw my small frame, large eyes, odd hair, dark circles, bad posture, simple clothes, and terrible social skills as a sign of weakness and proceeded to remind me of my flaws over and over again. I often escaped to the rose garden only five blocks down the road whenever I could with a large book of Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. Since I had to attend school at the orphanage, the only times I was able to visit my rose garden was at sun rise and sun set."

Raito kept his mouth closed and L appreciated it. He didn't need to hear any apologies for the past from someone who had no affiliation with it whatsoever. They stayed as they were watching the sunset until they could barely see the bushes on top of the hill. L pushed himself up first, standing up and brushing the dirt off of his pants. He held his hand out to Raito but he was denied.

"The dinner reservations are in about half an hour. It should take us about twenty four minutes to walk there from here. Ready to leave?" Raito nodded and followed L up the hill and out of the rose garden. L smiled to himself as he noticed the doctor glancing backwards at the garden before it was out of sight.

* * *

"I really can't accept this, Ryuuzaki," Raito said in astonishment. He shook his head, "I really cannot allow this."

"It's my treat, Raito-kun."

"Did you look at these prices?" Raito shoved the menu in front of his face. "Look at these! The cheapest entrée is eighty dollars! Why did you take me somewhere so expensive? I would be fine with a McDonald's or an Arby's!"

"Raito-kun is too good for a McDonald's or an Arby's," L consoled, pushing the menu back toward the doctor. "I am not in any way in need of money, Raito-kun. Affordability is none of your concern."

"We are at the most expensive and fanciest restaurant in Japan, sitting in the private, exclusive room that's used only for major politician and celebrities! And you're sitting like an ape like usual!"

"As I said, Raito-kun, affordability is none of your concern. And please do not mock my sitting position."

"But…"

"No buts, Raito-kun. The waiter will be here soon. If you don't decide, then I will." As if on cue, the waiter appeared, a perfected, fake smile plastered on his face.

"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Megumi and I will be your waiter for this evening. May I start you off with some drinks?"

Raito looked down at the beverage section and visibly winced at the prices, "Water, please."

Megumi wrote it down and looked at L. "A Strawberry Daiquiri. But with Sprite instead of rum."

"A virgin, then?" the waiter laughed, writing down the order.

L smirked at Raito and licked his lips, "I like them virgins." The waiter laughed again and took his leave.

Raito shot the detective a dirt glare, "You bastard. What makes you think I'm a virgin?"

"Just a silly little hunch," L winked. Raito ignored the detective for the five minutes waiter took to get their drinks.

"Did you decide or do you need more time?" Megumi asked, flipping out his little notebook.

"I'll have the Roasted Salmon with Chipotle and Horseradish crust, please," Raito answered, handing over his menu to the waiter.

"Oh, dear, so many to choose from," L muttered, biting his lower lip. "I will have the Crepe Patisserie, the Shadowbrook Chocolate Meltdown, Vanilla Bean cheesecake, Tiramisu, and the Milk Chocolate Caramel cake," he smiled pleasantly at the shocked faces of Raito and Megumi. He shoved the menu at the waiter and waved his hand as if to dismiss him. Megumi quickly wrote it all down and left with a bow.

"That's not dinner!" Raito growled, "That's diabetes served on a plate!"

"As much as I appreciate Raito-kun as my doctor, we are on a date, not at a health convention." Raito didn't give in and glared. "Will Raito-kun feel better if we switch the subject?"

"I am not going to switch the subject! Ryuuzaki, your health is in great danger! Just think of all those calories and fat and…"

"Raito-kun, you need to learn how to stop working and enjoy the moment," L commented, taking a sip of his strawberry daiquiri. "Mhm… this is good!"

"Ryuuzaki!"

"Yes?"

"Can you at least eat one thing healthy today?"

"I am having a Strawberry Daiquiri, Raito-kun. And it's a virgin!" he took another sip. "In fact, maybe I'll have another." Raito sighed, frustrated. "Has Raito-kun's father told him any more about the case he is working on?"

The doctor looked up, blinking, "The case? No, he hasn't really. He mentioned that there was another victim about a week ago…"

"Does Raito-kun know anything about that victim?" Raito shook his head. "The victim had died of blood loss. He had freeze, electrical and chemical burned holes and holes removed by a scalpel. They were on his penis and on his back. The holes on his back were the ones that concerned me the most. They spelt out a message. The holes were arranged in a picture of a night scene with a moon and a crucifix. Moon, night, god."

"Raito Yagami," Raito whispered, eye wide. L nodded. "So… I'm the next victim…?"

"I currently hope not, Raito-kun. No other victim has appeared between then and now but I've been keeping a close eye on you."

"How? How are you watching me and why do you know all of this information?"

"To put it simply, Raito-kun, I am L."

Raito's mouth fell open and it was all L could do to not snicker. "L? The world's greatest detective? YOU? That's…" he paused. "Then you're the bastard you got me in trouble with my father!"

"It worked out in the long run," L muttered, biting his thumb, "I have received a report only this morning that there was a break in at your old apartment."

"What?! Why didn't I know about this sooner?"

"I kept it under wraps, Raito-kun. I did not want you to find out about this."

"This is my life we're talking about! I deserve to know about the case that could very well be the end of me!"

"It also puts you under a lot of stress and a lot of paranoia."

"I can handle stress and paranoia, Ryuuzaki," Raito pressed. "I'm a doctor working in the underground. I've been through it all."

"Yes, I've been wanting to ask Raito-kun about that," he said, taking another hit of his drink, "You seem like the kind of man with a strong sense of justice and a readiness to follow in your father's footsteps. I noticed your minor was Criminal Justice. You, with your intelligence, would make a fine detective. What made you want to be a doctor?"

Raito smiled slightly, "I was torn, actually, between being a doctor and a detective. My uncle was a doctor. I've never met him before but I've heard great stories about him. I grew to respect him and I respect my father, the detective. It was a hard choice. But then, around the time I was sending out college applications, my father said that the NPA needed an underground spy. I volunteered for the job immediately. The criminals of the underground trust me because they believe I have never revealed any secrets. They tell me of their plans, their problems, all while I check their reflexes. I repeat those back to the NPA. Most of the time, the criminals I work with are just lying low and there is no need to make any movements to arrest them. Then there are criminals who are mentally unstable and I send them to a mental asylum. There are also the ones that stupidly tell me their real name when they are on the wanted list and they find themselves arrest. Then, of course," Raito smirked, "There are the freaks that use the underground doctor only because he is not obligated to take real names."

"Like me."

"Like you."

"So Raito-kun is an unemployed spy of the NPA to keep an eye on the criminals and to report if something of concern arises?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Amazing," L smiled around his thumb. "I never knew. They don't have you listed in the NPA database. Criminals check that often though, so I'm not too surprised. I have a question, Raito-kun. When I would blackmail the patients, I was surprised to find that you have their real names and numbers saved in your database. Do all of them give you their real information?"

"Not all of them. You were just lucky, I guess," Raito laughed. "Most aren't too happy about giving me their number the first time they come because they heard I was a no information kind of doctor. But I only take a number to call them if anything comes up…"

"Like being told that their appointment is canceled?" L grinned, finishing his sentence.

"Yes, like that," Raito smiled back. "I was surprised, Ryuuzaki. I knew you were smart but I never thought you would be the greatest detective in the world. I should have guessed, though, you gave enough clues for me to guess at it."

"I suppose I did," L thought back, nodding. "How unfortunate, I should watch what I say. Now, I've grown tired of Ryuuzaki. Call me L, unless the waiter comes back."

"Another alias?" L beamed. "Do you get some sort of thrill when people don't know your real name?"

"No, it's just safer that way, Raito-kun."

"So what are you planning to do about my safety? You can't watch me forever and I can't stay at my parent's forever either. One day Isha will attack and if I'm at my parent's house, he might kill them too. I would never be able to forgive myself if they got hurt in the process."

L rolled his eyes up at the ceiling as if it were to have the answer written on it, "Raito-kun has a point. For the past week I had asked your father to give me regular updates on your being and he reported that you rarely leave your room, sans meals, but he does not know anything more than that. I have been watching your bedroom window from the cameras across the street. You do not leave your room from the windows but I cannot see what you are doing inside of it. The window curtains are thin enough for me to see you moving around at nighttime when the light is on but not enough to see during the day. What have you been doing? I'm curious."

Raito laughed sheepishly, "Origami, actually."

L's eye twitched, "Origami? I've been watching you relentlessly for a week for your wellbeing to find out you've been lazing around practicing origami?"

"It helps me relax and I figured I was in some sort of danger when you canceled all of my appointments only two days after warning me about Isha-san. So I made little origami stars for the past week. You know, L, they say that if you make one thousand, and make a wish for every star, they'll come true."

"Is that true?" L asked. "Maybe I should take up origami. I could use one thousands wishes come true." He took a sip of his strawberry daiquiri and found it empty. He frowned and set it to the side. "I would like to hear Raito-kun's knowledge of Erochikku Isha. He said last week that you would only share your information with a detective or policeman working on the case. Do I fall into that category?"

"I think being the world's greatest detective is somewhere within that category," Raito chuckled. "Erochikku Isha-san is a very quiet man. He never stuck out to me, he was just _there_. He came in once every three months for a checkup and was always in good health. He didn't seem to like me very much but I never saw how he interacted with other people so I did not know if it was just me he disliked or people in general. I guess it was pretty much just me, in a way.

"Isha came in once looking worse than usual. I had asked him what was wrong but he quickly shook his head and ran into the bathroom to throw up. That was about four months ago; it was around the time when I discovered my medical books missing. Now that I think about it, Isha-san must have quickly searched for the books on his way to the bathroom. They are located in the room next to it, after all. I assume he snuck into my clinic that night to steal them. He came back two months later in a real jittery mood with a light concession and sprained ankle. This was unlike him and I was surprised when he actually confided in me. He told me that he had been doing some experiments lately. I didn't know about the Doctor Fraud Cases at the time so I didn't connect the two but I knew whatever he was doing wasn't good. I asked him what he was doing and he answered that his next experiment will start at the Ageha. I remembered my father telling me about some crazy killer finding his victims in clubs so as soon as Isha had left I call him."

L had been listening closely and mentally took notes, having a keen memory, "Did you ever see Isha again?"

"No, he hasn't shown up since. I told him I wanted to see how his ankle and head was clearing up and to come in two weeks but he never showed. He normally comes once every three months so if he decided to go back to his schedule, he will come again next month."

L bit his lip, "Maybe that's when he'll come after you. During his next visit."

Raito twitched, "That's lovely to think about."

"My apologizes, Raito-kun, but I want this case cleared up as soon as possible. Preferably by next month. It's the start of this month, making it month five of the Doctor Fraud Cases. I will make sure Erochikku is caught by the beginning of next month at the very least. You can count on me, Raito-kun."

"L, I…"

"Here are your orders, gentlemen!" Megumi said cheerfully, popping out of nowhere. He carried a large tray and carefully set it upon a fold out stand. He placed Raito's salmon down with a warning that it was very hot. Megumi then moved to L and handed off all five desserts. He bowed and left them alone.

L pointed to Raito's dish. "Tell me how you like it, Raito-kun. This restaurant is famous for their salmon, or so I hear. They are also very famous for their dessert," he dug right into his Tiramisu, savoring each bite. He finished it in record time and grabbed his cheesecake next. He looked over toward Raito stiffly eating his salmon in small bites with a crestfallen expression. L frowned, "What's wrong, Raito-kun? Is the salmon not cooked to your liking? Should I call the waiter back? I could get this restaurant to go out of business if it's that bad…"

"No, L, it's not the salmon," Raito mumbled.

"But… does it taste good?"

Raito glanced up at L's devastated frown. "No! I mean, yes! It's the best salmon I've ever had. But… I guess my mind's just not on the food. It's not every day you hear that you that you have a month to live at best."

"Raito-kun does not have a month to live while I am on this case," L said confidently. "I have never lost a case once and this will not be my first one. I know who the culprit is; all that I need now is to find him. It shouldn't take that long."

"L, you've known Isha-san is guilty for the past two months. He should be caught by now."

The detective pouted, "I'm trying, okay? I've been worried sick about you for the past few weeks and it has been very distracting to me."

"You've been worried?"

"Of course, I…" he paused and Raito stared at him, waiting. Twenty seconds later, L picked up his fork and shoved it into his cheesecake. "It doesn't matter at the moment, Raito-kun. Right now, all that matters is your safety and Isha's capture."

"R-right."

They ate in silence for the rest of the dinner. When the check came, L refused to show Raito-kun the amount and paid for it with a credit card. Megumi smiled and thanked them on their way out. Outside, Watari was parked waiting for their return. L and Raito climbed into the back and sat in silence as Watari drove toward Deputy Yagami's house.

Music started to play, the same song that was playing on the way to the park only a few hours ago. _"Shut up and sleep with me, come on why don't you sleep with me? Shut up and-"_

"Watari, please turn off the music," L ordered. The song was instantly cut.

* * *

The limo pulled into the Yagami's driveway and Watari cut the lights so he didn't wake up the residents. L unclipped his seatbelt and followed Raito to the doorstep. "You don't have to come, L," he said.

"I want to." Raito didn't argue and let him follow. When they reached the door, they turned awkwardly toward each other and just stood there, looking at each other, waiting for the other to move first. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"It…" L cut him off by gently pressing his lips to Raito's. He closed his eyes and waited for Raito to either pull him in whispering he needed and loved him just as much as L does or push him away and slam the door in his face. But Raito did neither. He stood there dumbfounded as if this was the first time they had ever kissed and it was completely unexpected. They stood that way for about six seconds before L's cell phone went off.

L pulled back, frowning. Raito stared at the detective, caramel eyes wide and his cotton candy lips moist. L pressed a button on his cell phone. "That was my alarm, Raito-kun. It is now midnight, Wednesday. The bet is over. You have won, Raito-kun. You did not kiss back. As promised, I will stay away from your office and eat apples. As they say, an apple a day will keep the doctor away," L smiled sadly. "Goodbye, then, Raito-kun."

He took a step back and walked to his limo. He climbed in and signaled Watari to leave. As the limo pulled out of the driveway and down the street, L dared himself to look back at the doctor, only to find Raito exactly where he had left him.

* * *

Betcha didn't see that one coming, did ya? Hope it didn't disappoint.

Homework for the next chapter(yes there is homework, don't grumble): Listen to the song 'Endlessly' by Muse. It's a fantastic song and it'll be mentioned once or twice. And if you have any time, please read my Death Note one-shot. It's been out for a while but I figured I should shamelessly promote it.

Review! Tell me that you want to beat me up with a baseball bat or give me chocolates made from mud. Go ahead, do your worst. Or don't and tell me that you love me. I like that more.

* * *

End Part L


	11. Chapter 11

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

The aftermath of the date! Whoo! It's quite short but it's really just a 'what's been going on between a two week time skip' kinda thing. Raito may seem OOC but I couldn't find a way around it. He annoys me so much in the next couple of chapters but all the other ideas backfired on me. I hope you enjoy him anyway.

On another note: SCHOOL'S OUT!!!! Yeah man! It doesn't feel like it but it is. I'm playing the Sims tonight!

Thanks to my reviewers!!! I love you all so dearly! And if you didn't review, well, I still love you for reading, just not as much as the reviewers.

* * *

"So the bet is over then, Misa-chan?"

"…Yeah…"

"And Raito-sensei won?"

"… Yeah…"

"…"

"It's obvious though that Raito-sensei didn't exactly win."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Kiyomi-chan. Have you seen Raito-sensei lately? He's acting like his mother just died! He's sulky, depressed and his defenses are higher than they normally are. He's beating himself over winning the bet."

"I've noticed he's been throwing himself into his work lately. He's a workaholic as much as it is but now he's just over doing it. He's making us work four hours after normal closing time."

"I hope Raito-sensei gets himself out of this cycle soon..."

* * *

Raito panicked as he realized that that was the last patient of the day. He looked at the clock and nearly screamed when he saw it was only ten thirty. He needed something to do. Raito grabbed a washcloth from the sink and cleaned the counters, his medical utensils, and the cabinets for the fifth time that day. He just needed something to keep himself busy.

There was a knock at the door and Raito jumped at the sound of it. "Raito-sensei?" Misa called in. "Kiyomi-chan and I are leaving now. Go home already!"

Raito set down the washcloth and opened the door. He flicked off the light switch and smiled at Misa, "You're right. I need some sleep."

She frowned at him, "You look skinnier than usual, Raito-sensei. Are you eating well enough?"

He laughed, hating how fake it sounded, "Who's the doctor here, Misa-chan? I believe I know enough about health to make sure that I'm healthy," he hung his white coat on the rack in the closet and locked every door before following Kiyomi and Misa out of the main entrance. He locked that as well. "I'll see you tomorrow," he called out to them as he walked to his car.

They answered his goodbye and Raito stepped into his car. He shoved the keys in the ignition, twisting the key and immediately turning the radio on. Music blasted loudly, making Raito's ears hurt but he ignored it as he drove back toward his parent's house.

"_And now a request from a listener!"_ The radio DJ said, cheerfully, _"Izumi from Osaka sends out a message to his sweetheart, Mizuki, with this song!"_ A soft melody started to play and Raito groaned at it.

"Again? This song is at least five years old! What's with the new obsession with it?"

"_Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up, I won't let you down, and I won't leave you falling. But the moment never comes…" _

Raito pulled into his father's driveway an hour and a half later and during that time span had encountered that same stupid song five more times. He entered the house and tip toed his way to his room, not to bother his family.

He won't be so lucky, of course.

"Raito?"

He locked eyes with his little sister, peaking around her bedroom door,"Yes, Sayu?"

"I was talking with Misa-chan the other day and she mentioned that your stalker patient hasn't been seen for the past two Tuesdays, is that true?"

"Sayu," he growled through gritted teeth, "I suggest you go to bed."

"But…"

"Now."

"… Goodnight, Raito."

It took nearly all of Raito's strength not to slam the door in her face. The noise would wake his parents, he reminded himself. He didn't bother to undress and plopped ungracefully onto his bed.

It has been two weeks since the date with L. He glanced at the clock to see it change to midnight. Two weeks exactly, he had "told" L that he was not in love with him. L took the loss well and stepped out of his life as quickly as he had entered.

If L had not set his cell phone or if he had decided to give him one last kiss after his loss, things would be different. Raito would not be lying on a cold empty bed, biting his lip just to feel the pain. Instead, he would be safe and warm inside the arms of his favorite patient, smiling, laughing even. Raito bit his lip harder, feeling blood drip down his chin.

He's been this way for fourteen days now. He's been biting his lip so the pain would distract himself from crying, again, for fourteen days now. He's been keeping himself busy so thoughts of messy raven hair, deep black eyes, bad posture and sugar fetish would not plaque his mind for fourteen days now. L would never be back. If this was fourteen days, how will he survive for the rest of his life?

Raito curled up into a ball and hugged his pillow. He's been in a constant cycle for these past two weeks. Wake up with tear streaks on pillow and face, get dressed and ready to leave the house before anyone else is up, go to work listening to music, work nonstop for thirteen hours while cleaning during lunch break, go home listening to music, fall asleep with a bleeding lip. Thirteen hours a day isn't an easy feat and Raito felt some remorse for having Misa and Kiyomi work those long hours even on the weekends. But Raito can't stop for more than a few seconds. The harder he pushed himself during the day, the easier it'll be to fall asleep.

Of course, that didn't mean exhaustion would stop dreams from attacking him. Raito had a hard time ignoring them. There was one other thing that was difficult to ignore. It was that stupid song. The words, the melody, it struck Raito's heart and ate at it like L would do to cake.

Raito trembled at his own analogy and pushed it away from his mind. Misa had somehow seen the inner torment he has been going through and knew that he needed to keep his mind on something other than _him_. She brought a radio and hooked it to the intercom. Unfortunately, the number one hit these days made Raito want to bawl his eyes out while eating chocolate ice cream and, with an intercom in every room, escape was impossible. He had begged Misa to bring a CD but her stereo had a broken CD player and could only play the radio.

On average, Raito would hear _'Endlessly'_ at least thirty six times a day. And that's not including the drive to and from work.

Raito held on tighter to his pillow as he subconsciously sang the song under his breath, luring himself to sleep.

* * *

"_Oh, L-sama, stop teasing me!" A breathless Raito moaned, squirming underneath the detective's dexterous fingers._

"_You know you like it, Raito-kun." L kissed the doctor's nipple before clamping his teeth over the soft bud, making the young male arch his back._

"_L-sama…" he whispered huskily, running his manicured fingers through his lover's black hair. L hummed in response, his lips vibrating against Raito's neck._

_The doctor hissed in delight. "L-sama, please…"_

"_Please what, Raito-kun?" L smirked and stopped touching the boy until he begged him. "Tell me what you want."_

_Raito squirmed as he was denied what he wanted. "You bastard…"_

"_Flattery will not get Raito-kun anywhere," he teased, giving Raito a quick squeeze to his throbbing member. Raito moaned loudly._

"_L-sama, take me," he whispered._

_L cupped a hand to his ear. "What was that, Raito-kun? I'm afraid I couldn't…"_

"_TAKE ME GODDAMNIT!!!"_

_Not exactly begging but…"Now that's more like it." L pounced on the boy, giving into his request. Raito panted as L ran his fingers farther down his body and sucked on his collarbone. _

"_Ahh!" Raito's eyes flew open when L's fingers reached a very sensitive part on his body. "L-sama!"_

_L's mouth left his collarbone for his member and licked it as he would a lollipop. Raito groaned loudly as L's fingers scissored him and his mouth moved around him. _

"_L-sama…"_

"_Raito-kun…"_

"_L-sama…"_

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Ratio yelped and fell out of bed as his alarm clock shook him out of his pleasant dream. He found himself erect and sticky. He groaned a "not again" and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes on the way to his bathroom.

* * *

It almost became a routine now. Raito rushed to the front desk and looked hopefully at Kiyomi. The nurse glanced up at him and shook her head. His face faltered. "Sorry, Raito-sensei," she said sadly, "It's a full schedule."

"Oh, well," he smiled, "Then, I best get ready. I shall see you soon, Kiyomi-chan." Raito walked into his examination room and closed the door behind him, leaning up against it.

Kiyomi had begun to come into work early two days after the date when she learned that Raito had been up bright and early to check the schedule. He knew she knew who he was looking for; it wasn't too hard not to know. Raito didn't trust L to withhold his side of the deal and would visit him anyway. But he has yet to overstep the rules. He kept a close eye on it though, even when it wasn't Tuesdays, just in case L decided to surprise him. His name hasn't been on the list for these past fourteen days.

Music swayed through the intercom and filled up the room. _"Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly…"_

"Kiyomi-chan, could you please turn the music off?" Raito called through the door.

"Sorry, Raito-sensei, I just thought…"

The music was cut off and Raito slid down the door, resting his head in between his knees.

* * *

What happened to the funny fluff?! It's gone! It's been replaced with angsty emo Raito! Who wants that? Please just deal with him.

Review! Any predictions? Questions? Threats? Confessions? (Come on, I know you do) Please tell me! I love having blackmail against people.


	12. Chapter 12

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

More Raito angst! Noooo! No more! Please! It's okay, I feel the same. Which means more OOC Raito, Misa and Kiyomi trying to take over the plot, dinner at the Yagami household, a serious lack of L and one big hunk of angst. Oh yeah, that's how I like my coffee.

A HUGE thanks to my reviewers. I love you more than this stupid book I have to read for next year's English class. … Oh wait. That's not that much of a compliment…

A special congrats to yellowrose87who realized that the dream in the last chapter wasn't the first time I used it. XDDD

* * *

"Thank you, Doctor," the con artist said with a brilliantly bright smile. "You know, Yagami-sensei, you're quite the looker. Just my type of man…"

Raito shot him a blasé look and didn't bother to stifle a yawn, "Sorry. Not interested."

The patient laughed, thinking he was playing hard to get, "Oh ho ho! I know you're just…"

"Not interested," he repeated just as apathetic as the first time.

The con artist was flabbergasted, "What do you mean not interested? Look at me! I'm gorgeous! I'm rich! I'm Aiber!"

"That's what I said and that's what I meant. I don't care who you are or how you look. Don't make me repeat myself, Aiber-san," he finished writing his review and handed the con artist a note. "Here is a prescription for drugs for those chronic migraines of yours. Please do not come visit me again unless it is an emergency."

Growling, the con artist left, crushing the note in his hand. Raito shook his head and handed Aiber's filled out review to Misa. As she stuffed them inside Aiber's manila folder, Kiyomi had just gotten off the phone. "Raito-sensei, there has been a cancelation…"

"Has there really?" Raito asked, looking more excited than he has in a while, "Who's going to take their spot? Has there been any new adding's?"

Kiyomi blinked at the doctor's energy, "Er… well, no…" his grin fell. "We're just down one person, that's all."

"Oh," he mumbled.

"I-it's one o'clock, Raito-sensei!" Misa chirped, throwing a bento box at him. "Time for your lunch break! Do you want to eat with Kiyomi-chan and I or…?"

"No, I'm going to eat by myself today, thank you," he flashed a small smiled and disappeared into the backroom. Raito slumped down in his chair with a sigh and opened his bento box. Sushi, how original.

As he ate, thoughts plagued his mind like a death ridden disease. Flashes of messy hair, black eyes, bad posture, and cake flew around his head like a hurricane. Raito promised himself he wouldn't think about him but when he had nothing to occupy his mind, they attacked. There was no music playing, Kiyomi had kept it off when he ordered her to end the chaos that morning.

"That bastard probably wanted me like this…" Raito cursed under his breath, stabbing his California roll. "He doesn't want me to think about him, he wants me to be agonized by silence so when the silence comes, I'm exhausting myself trying not to think about him! Well, _L_, I'm not going to play your little game. I'm going to think about you!"

Raito had wondered, thinking back, when exactly he felt this attraction toward the quirky L. He never did come up with an answer. It could be when they first met, with L's odd ways that remained embedded inside his memory. Or it could be when Raito realized L's determination that showed every week. It could also have been when L played his little games, gave his little smiles, and said his little meaningless remarks that drove Raito up a wall. Maybe it was the date…

Raito smiled fondly at the memory of the date. L had done well, he wasn't too sure the detective could pull it off but he most certainly did. His many previous dates included nothing more special than a sappy chick flick movie, an unintelligent conversation at dinner, being dragged around a stuffy mall to look at things that held no interest to him, and an invitation back to their apartment. Raito had never agreed to go back with them; he wanted to leave as soon as possible. He thought the worst part of these pitiful dates was the fact that these people would spend days and weeks trying to come up with something interesting for them to do. Think about it, they were lucky to receive a once in a life time opportunity to go out with a man who looks like a Greek God who deserved to be immortalized with a statue; things have to be absolutely perfect. Date time comes and the best they've got is a movie, a dinner, and an invitation to have crappy sex. No thank you.

Not only was Raito stunned by the creativity of L's date, he would remember that the detective had picked this all at random and that would shock him all over again. Raito's biggest surprise of all was learning L's true profession. He thought it was a bit of irony, the (possible) next victim of a murderer and the detective who was working to catch said murderer going out on a date.

L kept his word when he said he wouldn't return to his office no matter how much Raito wishes he would break it. Raito was grateful, however, that L kept his other promise of keeping the doctor safe. He had made sure to get regular updates of the case from his father. He never asked about L because his father could never know that they came into contact. His father came to the conclusion that keeping him in the dark wasn't a good idea when he could very well be next on the hit list. He told him all he needed to know about the case and then more when new information arose.

Two more victims have died since the date. They were both similar to the forth murder where the man had his heart ripped out of his chest. The first victim, which took place about three days after the date, had her heart ripped from her chest and it was stowed away in a glass container full of salt water. Her entire chest was covered in bruises. His father said Isha had probably been going through some rough times and took his anger out on the girl before stabbing a knife through her chest to receive her heart. Raito had a feeling Isha was irritated because he couldn't find him.

The second victim was just a mess when he was found. His brain had been torn from inside his skull along with his heart, his stomach, his penis and, the skin from his chest. All of these body parts were pounded repeatedly with a sledge hammer into one large pink and red pile of mush.

His father had said that L was beginning to resemble a dictator and was ordering for more hours and more work to be put in finding this man. Raito had smiled when he was told that. He felt safer knowing L was putting all he's got into this case. Raito had started, in his own way, to help out with the case. He told the nurses to keep an eye on the schedule and to inform him right away if they saw Isha's name. Raito had begun talking to his patients about Isha, asking if they've seen him or heard about him. Isha's name wasn't publicized as the killer of the Doctor Fraud Cases so many of the criminals wouldn't think it would be suspicious if he asked them about him. For those that were suspicious, Raito explained the truth of how Isha didn't show up for his appointment to check on his head and ankle. So far, only one criminal had given him a positive feedback just a day before the second murder, saying that she had seen him hiding out near Kanto. Raito had informed his father straight away but the Investigation Team didn't have enough time before Isha had struck in Kanto.

Raito wondered what L was doing at this very moment. He was obviously working, but, was he thinking about him? L had said before that he was worried sick about him, thus distracting him from his work. So was he still thinking about him? Or was he far away from L's mind, replaced by the case and more sweets? Raito wanted to know, he…

"Raito-sensei?" Misa knocked on the door and let herself in, "Lunch break is over. Your next patient will be arriving within the next five minutes." Raito stretched and got up from his chair.

"Oh, I didn't finish my lunch…" he said, noticing he ate one piece and stabbed another leaving five pieces left. "Do you want the rest of my sushi, Misa? I didn't touch them."

The nurse stuck out her tongue, "Eww, Raito-sensei, you know I hate fish. I prefer salads."

"Maybe Kiyomi-chan likes them," he mused, walking toward the reception desk. "Kiyomi-chan, you like sushi, right? Do you want the rest of mine? I didn't touch them."

Kiyomi smiled and took the bento box, "Thank you, doctor. I promise to wash the container out really well. I'm catching a cold and I don't want to get you sick as well."

Raito blinked, putting on his doctor façade, "Do you want me to give you a check up? It's not a good idea for you to be carrying any diseases for a long time. Especially working in an office where you can pick up more or spread them around."

"No, really, I'm fine. But thank you, Raito-sensei. I'm sure I'll be all better for tomorrow.

* * *

_Raito drummed his fingers on the keyboard, bored out of his mind. It was Tuesday and a rumor had been going around in the underground that Raito Yagami does not see anyone on Tuesdays. Nobody showed up, nobody called, and there were empty spots in his schedule. He granted permission for Misa and Kiyomi to leave early for the day. He stayed behind, just in case. _

_Discovering it was only one in the afternoon, Raito considered closing up early. If nobody was going to come then why bother to run electricity? The doctor stood up, stretching his back. He shut down his computer as the front door opened. _

"_Welcome," he greeted, glancing up. He froze on the spot, "L?"_

_The man raised a hand, "Hello, Raito-kun. Did you miss me?"_

"_What are you doing here?"_

"_Is Raito-kun really that surprised to see me?" L mused, coming all the way in the clinic. "He should not be. It is Tuesday and I canceled all of your other appointments."_

"_The bet…" Raito whispered. "You said you wouldn't be back…"_

_L blinked, "Does Raito-kun not want me back? I will leave if that pleases him."_

"_No!" he shouted as L turned his back. L looked over his shoulder at him as if to say: 'You've got three seconds to interest me in staying' "Well, you must have come for a reason. What's wrong?" _

"_Nothing is wrong, Raito-kun. What makes you think that?" he asked, taking up the doctor's offer and slouched toward the reception desk. "Is it wrong to visit you?"_

"_But you said…"_

"_That I wouldn't? I did, didn't I?" L leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. His face was no less than two inches from his own, "But you should know, Raito-kun, that I lie quite often." And with that, his lips were on his. Raito took this as his chance to remedy the outcomes of the bet and pressed harder to L, opening his mouth slightly. _

"_Raito-kun is awfully willing today," L mused, moving away from the reception desk and into his favorite examination room. "Did he miss me that much?"_

_Raito followed him like an obedient dog. One step into the room and he was thrown against the wall, a mouth on his neck, sucking, biting, licking. He moaned quietly. Raito threaded his fingers through L's soft hair, pulling when his neck would receive a particularly hard bite. _

_A wandering hand pushed its way under Raito's shirt and up, fingers lightly gazing his flushed skin. Raito's grip on his hair was steel hard when L brushed against an erect nibble. The other roving hand moved in the opposite direction._

"_L…" Raito hissed, squirming under the touch on his crotch. Apparently, the detective enjoyed the little moans he heard and yearned for more. He bit harder on his neck, pinched harder on his nibble, and pressed harder on his groin. "Ahh…!"_

"_Raito-kun tastes so good," L sang, licking from his collarbone to his ear, "So very delicious."_

"_Ngh… ku…" Raito's breaths came in rapid and shallow. His brain deprived mind grew fuzzier, pleasure taking over logic. L knew all his weak points, his ears, his chin, his abs, and gave them no mercy. His fingers worked skillfully on his zipper, pulling it down along with his pants and boxers. _

_His erection sprung up to their stomachs. L chuckled, "Excited, my lovely doctor?" Their eyes met and Raito felt a hot flash take over his body. _

"_L!"_

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"L!"

Raito woke up upon impact from the floor. He quickly sat up, bumping his head on his nightstand, "Ow…" Dodging his nightstand, Raito stood up, stretching. He crawled back into bed only to jump out in record timing. The bed was sticky.

"Goddamnit!"

* * *

Raito was already in a bad mood the moment he walked through the clinic door. The goddamn radio played that goddamn song nine goddamn times on the way to work. Who the hell started this trend and why isn't he dead yet? Growling at the repeating melody in his head, Raito was surprised to find the door locked. Maybe Kiyomi's not in yet?

Unlocking the door, Raito called out, "Hello?" but got no answer. He hung his coat in the closet and checked the reception desk. A red light flashed on the phone, informing Raito that he has a voicemail. He pressed the button as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"_Hello, Raito-sensei,"_ Kiyomi said over the phone, voice harsh and raspy, _"I seem to have gotten worse over night. Please forgive me, but…"_ she went into a coughing fit that lasted about twenty seconds. _"Sorry about that, I need to take some medicine. I will not be in today, Raito-sensei. I called Misa-chan as well to tell her to come in early but she probably won't get my message until she leaves the house at her normal time. Don't bother to call me back, I'll be asleep. Do your best today, Raito-sensei. Thank you, goodbye"_

Raito pressed the off button on the phone. He looked around the empty clinic and sighed. No use being an open target for L to curse his mind, he thought, better find something to do. Raito hopped onto the computer to check his schedule for that day, and for the day after, and the day after, and the day after…

Frowning when he realized it was full, he checked for Erochikku Isha and Ryuuga Hideki, just in case L decided to surprise him by going on a crowded day. Neither names popped up so Raito closed the screen. But a better idea struck and the doctor pulled the schedule back up. He clicked on system that kept all of his patient's information and scrolled down to H. Raito scribbled down L's number although he wasn't one hundred percent positive this was his real number. It couldn't hurt to try though. Before Raito exited, he quickly added Isha's number to the list.

He pulled out his cell phone and sent a text message to his father containing Isha's number. He had returned last night for the first time in three days and had immediately fallen asleep on the couch. Raito did not know if he was up right now, being only about seven thirty, but he thought it would be better to sent it now so he didn't forget about it later.

Next Raito punched in L's number into his phone, saving it as 'Ryuuzaki'. As his doctor, he had every right to check up on him to make sure he was healthy. Raito nodded to himself, yes, that was a good excuse.

Glancing at the clock, Raito frowned and decided that the waiting room needed a new maker over. When Misa arrived an hour later, she stood with her mouth open at the new design, "Why did Raito-sensei arrange all the furniture?"

Raito shrugged, "I had nothing better to do."

"Oh, yes," Misa said, hanging up her coat. "I guess it must be boring when Kiyomi-chan isn't here to talk to. I'm sorry I'm late, Raito-sensei. I woke up earlier than my alarm and I couldn't fall back asleep so I got ready and twenty minutes before I regularly leave, I checked my phone. I wish I got the call earlier, I would have been here! I'm so sorry, Raito-sensei."

"It's not a problem, Misa-chan. I wasn't here that long by myself."

"You must have been if you were able to totally redesign the waiting room!" she huffed, opening the schedule on the computer. "The first victim is in twenty minutes. Put on your doctor coat."

"The victim?" he grinned. "Is that what you're calling them these days? I do not believe I am torturing them enough for you to be calling them victims."

"I'll call them whatever makes you laugh, Raito-sensei," Misa winked. He shook his head, chuckling good naturally. He did as he was told and grabbed his pristine white doctor coat from the backroom. As he threw it on, the radio started to play through the intercom. Five guesses as to what it was. Hint: Misa was singing the song very obnoxiously at the reception desk.

"Misa!" Raito yelled over the music, stomping back into the hall. "Turn off that terrible song!"

"HOPELESSLY!!!!" Misa sang at the top of her lungs, deaf to the world around her. "I'LL LOVE YOU ENDLESSLY!!!!"

"Misa!" he screamed again, slamming a hand down on the desk. She jumped at the sound. "Turn the goddamn radio off!"

The nurse obeyed with a pout, "Aw, Raito-sensei! That's my favorite song! It's my jam! I almost never hear it on the radio!"

"How can you never hear it?" Raito asked in envy. "It plays at least forty times during work hours!"

"That's the only time though!" she whined. "I play the radio all the time at home and while I'm driving but I only get to hear it once."

"What radio station do you listen to? We'll switch stations. I hear that goddamn song at least ten times on the way home."

"Eh?! Lucky Raito-sensei!"

* * *

Raito had two empty spots from two cancelations so Misa declared that he was going to go home early, get a nice cup of tea with a good book and relax. Apparently, even Misa could see the tension in his body and emptiness in his eyes. What happened to his supreme acting skills?

He had skipped the radio completely on the way home but unfortunately Misa had been singing that wretched song on the way to her car. It still ended up bouncing around in his head.

The clock in his car read eight when Raito pulled into the driveway. A pang of guilt struck him as he thought back to the distance he's been putting himself and his family. Maybe some time with them would help calm his nerves. The living room light was on and it looked as if his mother was setting up the kitchen table for dinner. Raito got out of the car, locked it, and opened the front door. "I'm home!"

"Raito?" Sayu shrieked, sliding out of the kitchen. "You're home early!" she ran and jumped on him, hugging his waist. Raito was able to stabilize himself before the impact, luckily, and he awkwardly patted the girl's head.

"Hello, Sayu. Did you finish your homework?"

Sayu gulped and quickly released her brother's waist. She shifted from left to right, "Well, err, you see… my Journalism major is requiring me to know some math and, well…"

"You absolutely fail at math," he finished.

"So you'll help?"

"Why not?"

Sayu cheered and threw her arms around her brother again, "Oh thank you, thank you Raito! I'll make it up to you I promise! I know! I'll make sure to keep your secret about your little stalker patient!"

"Stalker patient?!"

Sayu yelped and Raito froze as the booming voice nearly shattered their ear drums. Soichirro stormed out of the kitchen and into the foyer, making Raito glad the saying 'If looks could kill' wasn't true.

"…Did I say that too loud?" Sayu whispered.

"You think?"

"Raito, son…" Soichirro grounded out with a massive eye twitch. "What does Sayu mean when she says 'stalker patient'?"

If Raito was hoping for a relaxing evening not thinking about a certain sexy detective, then he was barking up the wrong tree. "Well, Father, he's…"

"HE?!" Soichirro roared.

"Yeah…"

"Dinner's done!" his mother said, thankfully, in the nick of time, "Soichirro, honey, please, calm down. It's not too often we get to eat as a family, all four of us. Please don't ruin this."

As the Yagami family sat down to eat, tension was escalating at an alarming rate. Raito kept his head down and focused on eating his fried rice but he felt his father's eyes burning through his head. "So…" Soichirro coughed, trying to sound like a calm, collected, and understanding father, "Tell me about this patient of yours."

Raito quickly shot Sayu a look, just in case she decided to lose her brain at that moment. He knew Misa would only tell her the juicy details of L, the ones that would put his dear father in the hospital. Sayu saw the glance and quietly ate her Yakizakana. "Well, he's a nice guy and he…"

"You're dating him, aren't you?"

"What?!" Raito spluttered, nearly choking on his rice. "Father, no! What gave you that impression?"

Soichirro leaned back in his seat and gave the perfected 'father' stare, "I'm your father. I saw your facial expression when you talked about him."

"Raito is in love with Hideki-san?" Sayu gasped, "Is what Misa said true?"

"No! Sayu, shut up!"

"What did Misa say, dear?" Soichirro asked, sweetly. Don't listen to him Sayu, Raito pleaded internally.

"She said that Raito and Hideki-san were making out in the examination rooms, endless flirting, having sex in the bathroom…"

"SEX? SON! What were you thinking?!" Raito glared hatefully at his sister. Sayu meeped and slid down in her chair. "Look at me when I am talking to you! Your mother and I did not raise you to act this way! Unprofessional! That's what you are! Having sex with a patient!"

"Father, we didn't-"

"This is a disgrace! Do you even know who this man is? I mean _really_ is?"

"Of course, Father, but-"

"He could be a criminal! A rapist! A murderer! And you're having SEX with this man?!"

"We did NOT have sex!" Raito yelled louder than he should have. The room fell into an eerie silence, sans the doctor's harsh breathing. He realized he was standing and slowly plopped down onto his chair. "There is nothing going on between Hideki-san and I. He is my patient and I am his doctor. The only things I am concerned about pertaining to him are his health and his money," he spoke slowly and calmly.

"But, what Misa said…"

"Misa is a liar who likes to blow things out of proportion. She thinks that because Hideki-san likes to show up once a week with a made up disease just for laughs, he's coming onto me," Raito explained, picking up his chopsticks again, a sign of their finished conversation.

* * *

After the rest of the silent dinner was over, Raito threw himself onto his bed stared at the ceiling. He sighed. When Sayu had broken up with her boyfriend last year, the whole family knew not to talk about it. They never dreamed of teasing her about him, blowing up at her because of him, or constantly bring him up every three seconds, reminding her of all the tender moments they've shared. Raito had been half tempted during dinner to tell them straight to their face the truth so they would realize his pain and end their conversation.

Raito felt like some heartbroken high school girl, trying to get over her first boyfriend. He was comparing himself to his sister, goddamnit! Where did his manly pride go? He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, and he wanted to march over to whatever hotel L was staying at and demand entry. Most of all, he wanted to redo that stupid last test all over again.

Raito touched his fingers to his lips, trying to remember the ghost of those soft petals. He had been scared, truth be told, when L had kissed him that night. He, at that very moment, felt all of his suppressed emotion bubble over and find a name for itself. The moment the name reached his mind, L's cell phone rang. When L had pulled back, Raito stood in shock at his new discovery and felt the need to tell him. Until, L bowed out of the bet, declaring himself the loser and left without another word. Raito's mind had shut down and his heart had shriveled up, leaving him utterly useless to call him back.

"Raito? Raito, son?" His father called from behind the door, knocking gently. "Can… can I come in?"

"Yeah," he said, sitting up on his bed, cross-legged. His father slowly opened the door, cautiously almost, and smiled softly at his son. He took a seat at the computer chair and looked nervous. "You wanted to say something, Father?"

Soichirro sighed, clasping his hands together, "Yes, I did. I… I wanted to apologize about the way I acted at dinner. What you do and who you like are your own personal matters and I have no right to pick your decisions for you. Going out with a patient is unprofessional but most definitely not illegal. And if you like boys, well, that's up to you, but…"

"You had a fit about Mikami-kun and Hideki-san," Raito retorted. "Why did you freak out about them if you're telling me I can date whoever I wanted."

"They're stalkers, Raito!" he persisted. "They're only after one thing and that's bagging you! Er…" he scratched his head, embarrassed, "That was a bad use of words. The point is that you are a very handsome young man and perverted men like that. And with the Doctor Fraud Case unsolved and the message on that victim's back, it's hard not to worry about you. We're doing all we can to protect you and it's hard to do that when you're hanging around stalkers. They could very well be Isha's henchmen."

Raito laughed. He stifled it the moment he saw the stern look his father sent him, "Sorry, Father, it's just that… Hideki-san is the last person I would ever consider working with Isha." It would be pointless, leading an investigation against yourself, Raito thought. How boring would that be! "And Mikami-kun is too dedicated to his work as a lawyer to ever go against his beliefs."

His father frowned, "You can never be too sure, Raito…"

"I'm sure, Father."

Soichirro and Raito had a stare off contest, both determined for the other to see his point. Finally, his father sighed, looking down at the carpet, "Tell me about this Hideki guy."

"What's there to tell?" Raito asked, quietly wishing his father would stop tormenting him. "He's just my patient."

"He can't be. When you talk about him, you tip toe around the topic, trying to avoid it and when you do actually get to the point, you look happy. You've never looked that way before."

Raito's eyes widened and he quickly ducked his head to the side, "He is my patient, Father. There is nothing special about him except his frequent visits and humorous attempts to make the nurses and myself to laugh. That is all." Soichirro opened his mouth to speak. "Please, Dad."

The elder Yagami frowned again but nodded and stood from his seat. "I'll let it drop for now. Are you willing to try again?"

Raito smiled, grateful, "Maybe later." His father smiled back and closed the door gently behind him. Raito breathed out a sigh of relief and fell back onto his bed. He glanced over at the clock, curiously. It was almost ten. The doctor fingered the cell phone in his pocket, thinking deeply, before pulling it out. He scrolled down the contact list and held the phone to his ear, listening impatiently to the ringtones.

"_Hello?"_

"Misa-chan? It's Raito."

"_Raito-sensei! Why are you calling? It's nearly ten at night! Didn't I tell you to relax this evening? I…"_

"Misa, could you please contact all my appointments tomorrow and cancel them? I want to take the day off. Maybe take Sayu to the movies or something."

"_Really?"_ Misa chirped happily in his ear. _"Raito-sensei wants the day off? Oh, that's great! I'll get on it right away! I'll call Kiyomi-chan as well; don't worry about it, Raito-sensei! You just relax and leave it all to Misa-Misa!"_

Raito found himself chuckling under his breath, "Thank you, Misa-chan. I owe you." They hung up. Raito took a deep breath and called another number.

"_Beep! Beep!"_ Raito bit on his bottom lip in anticipation. No one answered yet, he thought, maybe he should hang up and try again later…

"_Hello?"_

"Uh! Err… um…" Raito coughed to get his mouth cooperating again, "Hello. This is Doctor Raito Yagami…"

"_Ah! Young Yagami-sensei! This is Watari. How may I help you?"_

"H-how is L doing? He said he would start eating healthier but he loves junk food so much that I don't think he'll follow through…"

"_Oh, my boy! L is doing splendidly! He's working harder and feeling better than he has in years. He's taken quite a liking to apples; I would have never guessed it. He eats about three or four of them a day!"_

"O-oh," Raito whispered quietly.

"_And that's not all, Yagami-sensei. L has also been eating more cherries, strawberries, grapefruit, and blueberries. He hasn't touched a piece of chocolate cake in two weeks! It's a miracle I say! I really must thank you, doctor. I predict L will be in perfect health within days the way he's going!"_

"Yeah… Hey, Watari? Could you do me a favor and not tell him I called? I don't want to seem like a nosy, untrusting guy, you understand."

"_Of course, Yagami-sensei. Thank you very much. Please do not worry about L no longer. Goodbye!"_ The phone dial ended with a beep. Raito held his phone in a death clutch next to his ear. Soon, he let it slip from his fingers as he crawled underneath his blanket, covering his head. He pulled in a pillow and grasped it tightly.

His body began to shake and he felt grateful he had told Misa to cancel his appointments tomorrow and he had called her before as tears unwillingly fell from his eyes.

* * *

_Raito stretched out on his recliner back in his apartment. "It's so good to be home," he sighed, sinking into the chair with a smile. He pulled out a book from the shelf next to his seat and opened to the first page. It didn't take too long before Raito grew antsy, sitting there. He needed something. An idea popped in his head and Raito hopped off his recliner made a beeline to the kitchen. _

_Upon entering the small kitchen, there was a small crash. Raito jumped and saw the refrigerator was wide open. He noticed two legs under the door but that was all he could see as the door was blocking the crouching person. The intruder hadn't noticed him yet so Raito took a small knife from the countertop._

_As Raito raised the knife, the refrigerator door slammed shut, "Are you planning on killing me, Raito-kun?"_

"_L!" the doctor yelped, dropping the knife. The detective smiled at the knife on the floor and picked it up gently in between his thumb and forefinger. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I thought a short little visit was in order. The front door wasn't locked so I let myself in." Raito looked down at his hand and noticed a bright, shiny apple. L saw how Raito was looking at the fruit and held it up. "I wanted an apple. I ran out. I need to eat my three a day or I'll be stuck visiting you again."_

_Raito hoped L hadn't noticed the flinch he couldn't cover up, "The saying is 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'. Don't you think three is overdoing it?"_

_L glanced down at the apple in his hand, shrugged, and took a large bite out of it. "No, three is a perfectly fine number. I don't want to risk my chances with just one," he held up the apple as if toasting the fruit to the doctor. "Thank you for the apple, Raito-kun, but I best be leaving now." _

_L smiled at him again and started to walk toward the front door. "Wait, L!" The detective turned his head around, looking over his shoulder. "I-is that all you came for? An apple?"_

"_Of course, why else would I come?"_

"_To talk, hang out, go somewhere?" Raito offered meekly._

_L hummed in consideration just to humor the doctor before laughing, "I rather not. You see it's rather unprofessional for a detective to be seeing a possible victim." He smiled wickedly, "I'm sure you understand." L slammed the door on the way out._

* * *

GAH! That last dream! L was such a total asshole! GAH!! I ruined you L! Forgive me!!

"_He doesn't want me to think about him, he wants me to be agonized by silence so when the silence comes, I'm exhausting myself trying not to think about him! Well, L, I'm not going to play your little game. I'm going to think about you!"_ That is seriously the worst paragraph in the history of the world but I had such a hard time trying to bring in Raito's inner thoughts. , Maybe a diary would have been better?

And the phone conversation with Watari always makes me sad.

Does anyone get the meaning of Erochikku Isha's name or is it just me? Bonus points to those who do.

I'm leaving for the beach tomorrow! South Carolina, baby! If you're there, look for the girl with the Ariel or Harry Potter beach towel. Half priced at the Disney store. OWN! Update will be when I get back.

Review! I love you so you should tell me you love me back in a review! Yes. Let's make it to over 300!! 350!!! 4,000,000,000!!!


	13. Chapter 13

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

I'm back in black! Actually, no, I'm wearing blue.

Thank you to the reviewers!!!! Made it over 300! And congrats to everyone who found out what Erochikku Isha's name means. There were quite a lot.

* * *

"He hasn't come out of his room all day…" Sachiko fiddled her hands in worry. "Do you think he's okay?"

"I'm sure he's fine, mom," Sayu consoled, barely looking up from her the essay she was writing. "Raito is strong and every hard worker needs a day off once in a while."

"I suppose you're right," Sachiko sighed in defeat but didn't stop worrying. "Maybe, if I just go and check up on him…?"

"You can't do that, mom!" Sayu huffed, placing her pencil down. "Raito is out of college. He's his own man now. Just because he's not going to work today doesn't mean he's contemplating suicide! Have some faith!" Sayu frowned, seeing the anxiety etched in her mother's wrinkles. "Do you want me to talk to him? I can try to get him outside even. It's only two in the afternoon, I can take him shopping."

Sachiko looked more relaxed in seconds, "Would you really, Sayu? It would mean so much to me."

Sayu grinned, flashing her a peace sign, "Yeah, of course! Raito and I never get to hang out anymore. Leave it to me!" With that, she ran up the stairs, laughing wildly inside her head- killing two birds with one stone, shopping with her wealthy older brother and procrastinating on that stupid essay!

* * *

_Crush!_

Oh, how do you like that, Mr. Origami Star? Bet it feels pretty painful to have your body, soul, and heart be crushed so easily. But don't worry; you're not to only one…

_Crush!_

Raito felt sick pleasure race through his veins as he destroyed each and every one of the origami stars he had made during his week off of work thanks to a certain detective whose name is now illegal to Raito's presence.

_Crush!_

That little star was his wish for happiness.

_Crush!_

That little star was his wish for peace.

_Crush!_

That little star was his wish for good health.

_Crush!_

That little star was his wish for love.

_CRUSH!!!_

And THAT little star was his wish for Ryuuga Hideki, whom Raito now realizes is not called by that name but it's not like that matters anymore. With a flick, the flattened blue origami star was sailing out of the open window and onto the pavement below. He knew that damn apple eating detective was watching him through those cameras across the street. Let him watch, he laughed internally. He flicked a dead pink star out of the window as he smirked at the camera.

There was a soft knock on his door as Raito crushed the purple star of beauty. "Raito?" He heard his sister call.

"Yes, Sayu?" He kept all venom out of his voice.

"Can I come in?"

"The door is unlocked." The doorknob twisted and the door was pushed open. Sayu smiled at her brother and jumped on his bed as if she was invited to.

"Whatcha up to, brother?"

Raito raised his eyebrow, "What do you want? You only call me 'brother' when you want something. I'm in no mood to help you with your math right now. I know I promised to help but…"

"No, it's not that," Sayu interrupted, before wincing as she remembered that was one thing that Raito hated most of all. "Do you feel up to going to the mall? Or somewhere of your choice?"

Raito scowled lightly, reaching for another star. He hoped he grabbed the star of his sister's happiness, "I'm not sure, Sayu. I'm kind of busy at the moment."

"Doing what? Crushing little origami stars and throwing them out the window? That is so elementary school, Raito. Were you trying to make one thousand? And make one thousand wishes on them?"

"Yes, I was," he held up a bright green one. "Here's the star of your good grades in college," With very little pressure, the star was flattened into a pentagon. He flicked it out the window and waved as it fell to the ground.

"That's so mean, Raito!" Sayu threw her arms in the air. "I can't believe you did that!"

"You still want to go out with a mean brother?" Raito teased.

"Normally, I would say no but I know that you don't want to go out so I'm going to say yes, I want to go somewhere with you," Sayu turned on her perfected puppy eyes, the one that no college student should still be using. "PLEASE, big brother? You're choice!"

Raito, unfortunately for Sayu, had perfected the art of invisibility toward said puppy eyes. But fortunately for her, he was dying to get out and forget his worries. He sighed and stood up, "Fine. But I get to choose."

He had barely been able to finish his sentence before Sayu cheered and grabbed his arm, leading him out of his bedroom. She had stolen his wallet from the desktop and shoved it in his hand. "This is going to be great! It's been such a long time since we've been able to hang out, Raito. You're paying right? As a college student, I have no money but since you're a wealthy, successful doctor, you're bound to have some cash, right? Anyway, at college, there's this one girl in my class who is such a jerk! So I told her one day…" Raito smiled at his sister, desperately clinging to every word she said in fear of slipping and plunging into the messy dark haired, dark eyed, bad postured, and sweet eating memories.

* * *

He calmly slipped at his banana and strawberry smoothie while his sister continued her long epic journey of a tale, spilling her own blue raspberry smoothie as she waved her arms, "But Miyashita-sempai is such a huge guy! And Masahi-kun is really tiny so they looked totally ridiculous standing next to each other. And then to play basketball against each other? Impossible! We were all sure that Masahi-kun was going to lose but then he pulls off this crazy stunt and wins!" Sayu laughed.

Raito nodded, trying not to get side tracked from her stories but it wasn't his fault if he did. Sayu was the kind of talker who elaborates so much he often forgot what the point of the story was. His amber eyes roamed around the mall they were seated at when his sister gulped down her smoothie. The mall was crowded as it was a Friday after all and many students had no classes that day like Sayu. He noticed a group of college girls giggling in his direction, batting their fake eyelashes. Raito scowled and stood up.

"Let's leave, Sayu. You can drink while we walk," Raito grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the table. The group of girls glared enviously at Sayu and left in a huff. He released her hand and threw away his nearly finished smoothie. "Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?"

Sayu looked down at the massive amount of bags in her hands. "Well, we already went to the seven stores I wanted to go to most but I do want to head down to the candy shop on the third level."

"Candy isn't very healthy," Raito lectured, feeling a sense of déjà vu. He didn't want to be affiliated with a candy store of all things. Just looking at the chocolate, the cake, the multicolored swirly lollipops, and those bright sugary confections were enough to send Raito into a frenzy of tears, punches, and crushed origami stars. Just thinking of looking at the chocolate, the cake, the multicolored swirly lollipops, and those bright sugary confections were enough to make Raito want to crawl under a rock.

"But it's my friend's birthday next week! I want to get her some of those chocolate covered cookie dough things. I hear they're very popular in America. They're not for me I swear!" Sayu insisted, tugging at his coat jacket in the direction of the escalator.

"But you're planning on buying something for yourself, we're you?"

Sayu gulped, smiling nervously at being caught, "Just a small little bar of chocolate isn't the end of the world, Raito. Doesn't sugar do the body good once in a while? Or something else among those lines?"

Raito sighed and pulled his arm away from Sayu's clutching hand, "I bought you your smoothie, I am not buying you candy. You brought money, didn't you?"

Sayu grinned, knowing that this was the best she was going to get, "I did! I think I can buy my own candy after the greatest big brother in the whole wide world bought me all the rest of the stuff I bought today."

They stepped onto the escalator and Raito smiled, ruffling her hair, "Just remember, when you're making lots of money from your job of being a successful journalist, you're paying me all back. With interest."

Sayu pouted, patting down her black locks, "Don't touch the hair. Who know who is watching us; I must always look my best for rich college men!"

"Hey! Don't be saying that in front of your brother. You're too young for men. They only want one thing." Raito scowled after her as Sayu ran from him toward the candy shop, daring him to chase after her. Oh no, he's not going to be chasing anybody anymore. He's never playing tag again.

As Sayu raced around the candy shop like a kid in, well, a candy shop, Raito was perfectly fine standing outside of the store. He crossed his arms and leaned against the store window, quietly keeping an eye on his sister. He frowned when Sayu bumped into a man and growled under her breath when she didn't even stop to apologize. He pushed himself off of the window and walked inside the store to play big brother. He walked straight up to the man, "I'm terribly sorry about her…"

Raito trailed off, his mind growing blank at the sight of messy black hair, bad posture and a handful of candy. He stared, dumbfounded, "L…?"

L looked at him, as if he had just realized he was there. "No…" Raito whispered, "You're not L…"

The L replica looked exactly like him if it wasn't for one flaw- this man had red eyes, red like a poinsettia. His red eyes immediately flickered to above his head and he bit on his thumb excitedly like L would do, "Oh, would you look at that! Raito Yagami! I've heard _all_ about you. You're that famous underground doctor that everybody's talking about, hmm?" He licked his lips, eyes never wavering. "You're as _tasty_ looking as they say."

"Er… thank you?" Raito looked into the eyes that weren't looking back. "How do you know my name?"

The man's eyes wavered once, down to his before shooting back up. His grin grew, "Let's just say it's a natural gift, hmm?" His hands nervously fiddled around with a jar of strawberry jam. He popped off the cap and shoved a handful in, jam spraying all around his grinning mouth like blood, "You said L, didn't you, hmm? I look like him, don't I, hmm? He's quite tasty too, just like _you_."

Raito felt something close to heart failure. This man… who was he? How did he know L? Why did he look so much like him? Was this a curse against Raito himself? Was it because he crushed those stupid origami stars the gods are attacking him with bad fortune? Running into an L replica who knew the real one was just about the worse thing for a healing heart right now. "Well, it was nice meeting you, mister… uh… sir. I just wanted to apologize for my sister's rude attitude toward you, running into you. I really best be leaving…"

The man grabbed his coat with sticky fingers, leaving red, blood like stains on the grey fabric, "You know L. No one knows L. I know L, though. You know L, too," The man moved in closer than Raito felt more than comfortable with. "Maybe this was _destiny_, hmm?" He looked so similar, if it weren't for those scarlet eyes looking at the space above his head Raito would have broken down, punching, and kicking the man until he collapsed.

"Could you let me go?" he asked desperately.

The man's grin resembled that of a Cheshire cat's as he sang, "Raito Yagami, Raito Yagami!" He moved in even closer, his strawberry stained lips inches from his ear, "You wanna know a secret, hmm?"

Raito pulled against the man's grip, "No, let me go!"

A hand pulled at the back of his nape as the other one blindly petted his face and hair, his eyes trained above his head, in a failing attempt at comfort, "Shh, Raito Yagami. I just want to tell you something." He giggled hoarsely, "I know all about your little _shindig_ with my _lover_."

"Eh?!"

The L replica's eyes flickered down, looking into his eyes again to see the pain and confusion floating through them. "Tee hee hee!" he giggled again. "Your sweet little L never told you, hmm? How he loves ME and ONLY ME, _hmm_? Well, I'm telling you," he suddenly dropped Raito from his grasp and greedily shoveled the strawberry jam into his mouth with his hand. His eyes were rested back above his head, "What's with that wide eyed zombie like look on your face, hmm? Do I have something on my face or in my teeth, hmm?" He grinned at Raito, showing him his teeth. He laughed again, in that sick sadistic way as he wiped his strawberry red hands on the doctor's grey coat, "Raito Yagami does not know a joke when he sees one, it appears. Perhaps, he has lost his mind, hmm?" The man let out another barking laugh, throwing his head back.

Raito backed away slowly while he got his chance. He found Sayu finishing up paying for the sweets she bought and quickly grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the store. "What? Raito?"

The chilling laugh followed him out of the store and the worst part was he didn't know if that strange man was telling a joke or not.

* * *

Raito dropped Sayu off at the movies because she had called her friends to meet her there. The doctor had shrugged in response and did as he was told, making a sharp left to the movie theater. Sayu smiled in thanks and said that she would get her own ride home. Shrugging again, Raito spun the wheel and left the parking lot. He didn't mind that his sister was technically ditching him for her friends; he actually thought it was for the best. After his little run in with the L look alike, Raito had been silent, sulky and just a bit paranoid. Sayu must have realized his inner anguish and offered to leave him be for a while. He thanked her in his thoughts.

He stopped at a café on the way home, to grab a cup of coffee to awake his numbing senses. He parked the car in the back parking lot, mind drifting toward the mysterious man's words as he crashed head on into somebody. He tumbled to the ground and his left ankle screamed in pain as the man accidently crushed the bone.

"I'm terribly sorry!" the man said, helping Raito to his feet. The doctor immediately shifted his weight onto his right leg to put pressure off of his sore left ankle, "Are you okay? I think I stepped on your ankle…"

"I'm fine," Raito fibbed perfectly, flashing the middle aged man a charming smile. "It was my fault. Don't worry about me."

The man bowed again in apology and rushed to his car, embarrassed. Raito waited for the man to leave before he limped toward the coffee shop. He walked inside and a young woman had immediately seen him limping and offered to help. He declined and made his way to the register, ordering himself a cup of black coffee.

Raito knew he should be seated when he had an aching ankle but he was positive it wasn't broken or strained, only hurt. But the park across the street seemed so tempting that the doctor threw out all of medical knowledge and limped his way to the park. It didn't take a genius to realize this was the same place L had taken him two weeks ago. He wandered around with his limp and coffee, watching everybody around him. There were couples, kissing and snuggling against each other, making Raito feel sick to his stomach. There were also best friends, laughing and fooling around with each other, one pushing the other down a hill and Raito quickly looked in the other direction. He saw people playing chess, people having tennis competitions and everybody looked so goddamn happy. He felt so out of place there, everyone had smiles while his was upside down. Some pointed at him, giggling, and Raito realized he still had strawberry jam stains on his jacket. They just have thought he was a complete slob.

Raito decided to leave because he couldn't take the stares, smiles and couples, not to mention these stains could become set in. He made his way back to the car but not without first glancing over at the rose garden. There was nobody in there; the garden was ignored like it was invisible to all but Raito and L. And quite frankly, Raito thought with a smile, he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

_L lowered him down upon a bed of torn free roses, kissing his lips in an attempt to soothe the brunette. Raito squirmed under the dexterous hands of the detective, gasping when he reached sensitive areas. He looked through lust clouded eyes at the man on top of him, whispering, "L…"_

_L moved to his neck, sucking on his artery. Raito stifled his moans, biting down on his lip. L slipped his fingers through his mouth, prying it open. "Let me hear you," he said as he nipped at his neck. _

"_Aah…!" Raito groaned around his lover's fingers and he clutched a handful of roses, "L!" L mumbled an, "That's more like it," and continued swirling his tongue on his neck. Raito reached up, grabbing the hem of the detective's shirt with all hopes to see and touch his abs. L clipped his tongue, making a 'tsk' sound. He tore the wandering hand away from his shirt and giving it a punishment bite. "Not just yet," he chastised light heartedly. The doctor nodded and settled for running his fingers through the soft raven hair. _

_Although Raito couldn't tear off his shirt, didn't mean L couldn't with his. The detective settled with ripping open his dress shirt open, buttons flying into the roses and disappearing beneath them. Raito gasped, feeling the cold air hit his overheated chest. He opened his mouth to give L the earful he deserved for destroying his favorite shirt when the said guilty man crushed his lips upon his. L expertly slipped his tongue inside his mouth, tracing over every curve, every tooth and every corner. Raito was so lost in the feeling of his tongue being sucked on like a straw, he didn't notice his pants unbutton, unzipped, and pulled down to his ankles. He did, however, notice the hand fishing around in his boxers. _

"_Ah! L!" he whimpered pathetically. L licked at his nose and smirked then dropped his head down as he pulled off the remainder of Raito's clothes, leaving him completely bare. Fingers kneaded at the sensitive skin of his penis before they were replaced with his mouth. Raito moaned as L licked, sucked, nipped, and played with his cock. He grazed the underside with his tongue adeptly, flicking the tip and Raito suppressed a shudder that racked through his body. "L!" he came into L's mouth. _

_L licked his lips clear of white substance before swallowing. He leaned over Raito, "It's a bit salty." He clamped his lips onto the doctors. He pulled back before Raito could respond. He stood up, squishing the roses, and brushed any dirt off of his wrinkled clothes. He looked down at the naked Raito and said nothing._

"_L!"_

_L and Raito looked behind the detective to see the copy cat man running at them. When he reached the bed of roses, he happily stomped on them on his way to L. He threw his arms around the dectective, "L! There you are!"_

_L kissed the man on his lips and Raito stared wide eyed in anguish. The weird L replica opened his eyes when he heard the doctor's broken gasp and locked eyes with him. His blood red eyes narrowed in victory, pulling L closer to his body. _

"_No… L… no…" _

BEEP BEEP BEEP

With a yell, Raito found himself on the floor, yet again. But he found himself not to care. He shakily crawled back onto his bed and under the covers. Tears started to slip down his face and Raito made no move to wipe them away.

L wouldn't do that… He wouldn't try so hard to win Raito's heart when he already had another. L wasn't that kind of man, right? Or maybe, L had already moved on. Why continue to love someone who you sworn to never see again? Especially when this said person didn't "love" them back? Did L really find love in that strange man? It explained how he knew his name.

The man's words haunted every waking moment, as much as L himself does. _"I know all about your little _shindig _with my _lover_."_

Was so much pain possible? Was it possible to be in this much agony?

"_Eh?!"_

What happened to the happy days he had before he met L? Sure, he was a little bored with life but at least he wasn't waking up crying every morning about a missed chance.

"_Tee hee hee!" _

Raito knew the medical world like the back of his hand. He could recite every bone in the body, could name every medical equipment known to man, and could answer any question thrown at him. Two seconds with a patient was all he needed to know what was wrong with them and treatments were best.

"_Your sweet little L never told you hmm? How he loves ME and ONLY ME, hmm?"_

But he couldn't describe the agony his body was going through. He didn't know why he was feeling this way. He couldn't understand why some sloppy, awkward, health hazard, stalker creep of a man could steal his heart in such a way that made every new breath painful. Why had this man popped into his life and popped right out of it the moment he realized he needed him? Was he psychic? Was this all a cruel trick played by the gods as payback for what he did in a past life? Why was he in love with him? Why was he in love with L?

"_Well, I'm telling you."_

He didn't understand at all…

* * *

I have mixed feelings about Beyond Birthday. I hate him and am totally fascinated by him. I picture him to always stare at the top of people's heads. I mean seriously, how awkward is it to be talking to someone as they're staring at your ear or your neck or the top of your head. If I had Shinigami Eyes I would be staring at their numbers all the time, just waiting for a number to drop.

South Carolina was amazing, thank you for asking. A HUGE thanks to White Dragon Goddess who helped me around Charleston.

Please review! I need something to read tomorrow (besides rereading the sixth Harry Potter book so I can boo at the movie when they don't do it right XDDD)


	14. Chapter 14

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

You should all be happy I'm updating. I'm so tired right now. I just saw Public Enemy and it was so boring! I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep half way through the movie. So here's something to make your day brighter. I hope.

Thank you to all the reviews! I need them like Raito needs L. Which is quite a lot, if you haven't noticed.

* * *

Another week and a half had passed by. Raito had accomplished nothing but treat ten to twelve patients a day, ignore his family and coworkers, heal his ankle, and hide in his room, crushing origami stars and sleeping. L had promised he would have captured Isha by the second month because this was the month that Isha was supposedly most likely to show up.

Two more patients had died. Both in the same way. The first victim was a young man and the other was a young female. They were left in isolation with their chests cut open. The man took nine hours to die while the girl took eight and it took even longer for the police to find them than normal. They arrived only about an hour after they had died. His father's stress was going through the roof and it was only a matter of time before he collapsed and was sent to the hospital.

He had joined Raito in his room one night after supper, two days after the second murder. "L is growing more and more demanding," he had said. "He also realized that normal tactics aren't working and he's going to create a new plan. He hasn't told us it yet but it's only a matter of time until the next victim is killed."

Raito had nodded, "You'll catch him."

The next day, Raito had gone into work and Kiyomi had immediately attacked him, dragging him to the computer, saying, "You've got to see this!" She pointed to the schedule. His eyes widened and his hand automatically reached for his phone.

"No way…" Erochikku Isha's name was clearly on the schedule for next week on Friday. "That only gives us ten days," he pressed the autodial button on his phone and held it up to his ear.

"_Hello?"_

"Father, it's me. I've got news on Erochikku Isha-san."

"_Really? That's fantastic, Raito! What is it?"_

"He's scheduled for an appointment for next Friday. I have a prediction that he's going to kill one more victim probably the day before, on Thursday, and then he's going to try and kill me during his appointment."

Kiyomi gasped besides him, this being the first she's heard about the background story of Isha, "Raito-sensei…"

"_Raito!" _his father barked. _"I don't want to hear you talking like that!" _Raito heard male voice murmuring in the background. His father was at work.

"It can't be helped, Father. You can't deny that he's after me, with that message drawn on that man's back. Please, just pass the information on. And the whole story. Don't forget to mention about my possible death, that's important."

His father sighed shakily, _"Of course it is, Raito. Your life is the most important thing. Thank you for the information. Stay safe."_

Raito smiled, although he knew his father couldn't see it. "Thank you. Goodbye, Father."

"Is that true, Raito-sensei?" Kiyomi asked as he hung up the phone. "That Isha-san is going to kill you?"

"It's very possible, yes," Raito answered. "But I've got the world's greatest detective on my side, so I'm not too worried."

"L?" Kiyomi whispered and the doctor flinched just ever so slightly. "That's terrible, Raito-sensei. You can't work on Friday!"

Raito shook his head. "I have to, Kiyomi-chan. If I don't, he'll come anyway. Besides, I won't be left alone that day. The police aren't that stupid. They'll have cops watching me, ready to attack and arrest Isha the moment he walks in. I'll be perfectly fine the whole time." Raito flashed her a reassuring smile but he didn't believe it himself.

* * *

Misa came in that morning just as Raito finished up with his first appointment. She huffed, "I'm so sorry, Raito-sensei! Here!" She reached into her purse and pulled out a shiny red apple. "It's not much but hopefully you won't be mad at Misa?"

Raito took the apple but shot her a glance, "I thought I broke you out of that habit."

Misa quickly covered her mouth, realizing her mistake. "Whoops. It just slipped, sorry, Raito-sensei." The doctor left them to clean the examination room for the next patient. As soon as the door was shut, Raito practically tossed the apple at the counter as if it was poisoned.

"Maybe I should give it to the goddamn detective," he cursed under his breath, "since he seems to enjoy them so much. Eating three a day, humph! I'll be content if I never see another apple in my life."

There was a short rap on the door. "Raito-sensei?" Misa called in. "The next patient is ready."

"Let him in," he called back. Misa opened the door and allowed a tall, skinny man with gangly limbs, large eyes and a clown-like smile. Raito quickly looked down at the file the nurse had handed him, "Welcome, Ryuk-san, I believe this is the first time we've met. I am Doctor Raito Yagami."

"Hyuk, hyuk," Ryuk laughed. "Hiya there, doc'."

Raito sat down on his rolling stool. "What's been bothering you, Ryuk-san, that you feel the need to come see the doctor?"

Ryuk laughed again, finding something hilarious, "I always seem to have stomach pains…"

A flash of nostalgia hit the doctor. "Before you continue, Ryuk-san, I must ask: do you eat fruits or vegetables?"

Ryuk scratched his head, "A vegetable is like a tomato, right?"

Raito's eyebrow twitched, "Technically, a tomato is a fruit, Ryuk-san." He reached behind him and tossed the unwanted apple at his patient. "Here, try this. Do you know what it is?"

Ryuk examined the apple with great interest. "An apple, of course. It's so shiny!" He took a bite into it and his face immediately lit up like Christmas tree lights. "This… is… DELICIOUS!" He gobbled the rest of the fruit in three bites. "Do you have anymore?"

"No, I don't. But you can buy some at your grocery store. Remember, 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'," Raito laughed bitterly. "Is that all for today then, Ryuk-san?"

Ryuk looked up from licking his fingers for apple juice, "You're a miracle worker, Raito-sensei. Can I go buy apples now?" Raito waved him off and the strange man sprinted out of the clinic faster than an Olympic champion.

The doctor returned the manila folder to the front desk. "Did Ryuk-san just eat the apple I bought you?" Misa asked huffily.

"He's another case of Ryuuga Hideki," he said. "'An apple a day keeps the doctor away', right?"

"'But if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!'" Misa finished, clapping her hands.

Raito blinked, turning to the blonde nurse, "That's an interesting part of the saying. Did you make it up?"

"No, of course not! Hideki-kun taught it to me."

"Hideki…?" Raito repeated. It was most definitely something L would do, switching up a classic saying into something that fitted to his own purpose. He laughed. So that's why L never touched any fruit during the time span of when he visited him. Raito laughed harder, gripping the countertop until his knuckles were white.

Misa and Kiyomi looked at each other worriedly as their boss calmed down. "The next patient will be here soon, Raito-sensei," Kiyomi said, pointing at the schedule on the computer screen. Raito nodded, still smiling, and left to clean the examination room, although there really was no need.

* * *

Sachiko smiled as she ate her Oden quietly. Her son had come home from work earlier than eleven and her husband had actually come home from work. She was a bit nervous, especially after the last dinner the four had dinner together. That happened nearly two weeks ago, so everything should be fine between them.

Right?

Sayu chattered about every little detail that went on with her day. Sachiko nodded, that was perfectly normal. Soichirro was listening to his daughter, nodding and smiling, while secretly shooting glances at his son to change the subject. That was perfectly normal as well. Sachiko looked to her perfect son to see him silently pushing around his fish cake with little to no interest. She frowned. That was not normal.

"Is something the matter, Raito?" she asked him. The other two family members immediately turned their attention to him.

Raito smiled, tentatively, "I was just thinking, Mother. It is nothing."

"Did something happen at work?" Soichirro jumped at his chance to end Sayu's pointless banter. "A patient, perhaps?"

Raito glared crossly at him, "I hope you aren't referring to Hideki-san…"

"Maybe I am and maybe I'm not," he retorted in the same tone his son had used.

"For your information, Father, I am thinking about a patient and it is certainly not Hideki-san. This is about Isha-san."

Soichirro's eyes widened in response and Sachiko wondered what on earth she was missing. "Ah, I see. Then we'll just have to talk about this after dinner, won't we?" Raito nodded, picking the abused fish cake delicately with his chopsticks. The family fell silent and room's atmosphere shifted into an eerily calm feeling. Sachiko looked between her husband and her son, trying to solve the weird agreement between them. She noticed Sayu looking just as confused as she was. They locked eyes and shrugged simultaneously.

* * *

"Are you scared?"

"I think anyone in my situation would be scared, Father."

"I asked if _you_ were scared."

"I trust in L's capabilities."

"It's okay to be scared, Raito. I'm scared, scared for you. L is only one man and could very easily make a mistake that could get you killed."

"There are others working with L, Father. You're one of them. I also trust you enough that you won't let me be killed so easily." Raito's eyes were filled with determination and Soichirro couldn't help but submit.

After dinner, Raito had been grabbed by his arm and was dragged up the stairs and into his bedroom. His father started to pace around his room, looking guilty before he had asked him that ridiculous question.

"I still picture everything going all wrong, though. Either Isha shows up earlier than expected or nobody coming in to save you in time…"

"I am perfectly capable in saving myself, Father," Raito answered, ticked that he had practically been compared to a princess.

"Not when you're up against a huge man who's practiced in capturing people."

"Those people were all drugged up at the time, Father. He won't be able to get me to drink anything he offers."

"Who's to say he won't have a needle? Will you be able to dodge that?" Raito looked at the floor, no answer given. "Face it, Raito. As much as we don't want to admit this, you should be scared. Your life is endangered and one small mess up can leave your mangled body in a photo on my desk the next morning."

"It is a scary situation, I'll agree with that. But there are no doubts in my mind that Isha won't be captured. I have faith in the Doctor Fraud Investigation Team."

"If you're not scared, then why were you looking so solemn during dinner when you were thinking about him?"

"I'm going over precautions in my head. I believe it would be a normal thing for someone in my situation would do. I wouldn't say I'm scared but it's safe to say I'm a little nervous."

"And that is perfectly acceptable…"

"But I'm not going to be sitting around worried for my life. I'm still going to work, if that's what you're after."

"No, I'm not going to force you to stay home. I already tried that," Soichirro stopped pacing. "If you feel the need to talk…"

"You're there," Raito finished. "I know, Dad. Thanks."

* * *

Raito's section is almost done. Isha will rearing his ugly face soon and then BOOM the world dies. Another father to son heart to heart. I kinda like those. They're hard to write but they're quite interesting. And Ryuk. Who doesn't love Ryuk?

Harry Potter midnight premiere tomorrow! That's right! I still need to finish a few more chapters of the book. (Whoops, should have been done by now) For all who reads the book, I just finished Sectumsempra. Draco Malfoy is my love. Especially when he's with Harry.

Please review! I need to know I'm doing a good job! … Please…?


	15. Chapter 15

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Thank you all so much for the reviews! They bring a smile to my face. A special thanks to frnight who decided to send me multiple reviews when I said I wasn't updating until I reached 400. Note: Get off of your author vacation! Stop eating so much ice cream!

* * *

_The calendar on the wall was burned in Raito's memory. No matter how hard he tried to look away from the date, his eyes kept wandering over. He felt as if he were under a curse that forced him to stare at the calendar every other second. The date couldn't be more obvious if the calendar came to life, jumping around his desk, screaming: "IT'S FRIDAY!!! IT'S FRIDAY!!! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE ON FRIDAY!!! IT'S FRIDAY!!!"_

_It was a little unnerving…_

_Misa and Kiyomi had both called out that morning for reasons unknown. The police seemed to have abandoned him as well. They never showed up and Isha was expected in less than two hours._

_Unfortunately, the appointment time in two hours meant nothing for a mass murderer. He arrived too early for his appointment, grinning manically at the doctor, "Hello Raito-sensei. I believe it's time for my check up." _

_Raito clambered from his seat and ran to the back. He slammed the door and locked it. There was loud pounding on the door. Isha was trying to break in and in thirty seconds, he succeeded in knocking down the only barrier between them. _

"_L…? L?" Raito whispered, somehow hoping the man would hear him. "L!"_

"_Nobody can save you now, just like how nobody saved my family from guys like you," he pulled out a knife. _

"_L!"_

"L!"

Raito found himself sitting up in his bed, covers on the floor and a dying scream echoing in his ears. His skin was clammy and his breaths were shallow. He glanced around his room, as if looking for the murderer, then at the clock which showed the time of two twenty four in the morning. Groaning, Raito flopped on his bed, feeling wide awake.

* * *

"We've got another newbie today, Raito-sensei," Kiyomi mentioned just as he had opened the clinic door. "They're just piling in these days,"

Raito frowned and took the manila folder the nurse handed him. "Billy Bob? And you let him schedule an appointment? This is obviously an alias!"

"Raito-sensei," she said with an exasperated glance, "almost every patient here as an alias."

"But never one this obvious!" he shook the manila folder in his hand. "With Erochikku Isha still out on the loose and coming in three days, we need to be on the lookout. Someone with the name of Billy Bob is bound for trouble, even in America where it's more common than here in Japan. He could be a spy."

"Why would Isha-san let us know he's sending a spy? Wouldn't he want it to be unknown?"

"That's a good point. Not a spy then… Maybe, he wants us to call the police so they capture this 'Billy Bob', thinking he's their man. Then while everyone believes Isha is in jail, the real Isha-san will strike on Friday!"

Kiyomi stared long and hard at her boss, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"No, not at all," Raito had, in fact, slept terribly the night before. His dreams were haunted yet again by L, Isha and L's replica. He would wake up screaming from a nightmare, fall back asleep an hour later, wake up screaming yet again, fall back asleep an hour later and repeat two more times. No, he did not sleep well last night.

"Well, Bob-san will be here today a little after lunch. The first appointment isn't until eight, an hour and a half from now. Why don't you go ahead and take a short nap? I'll wake you up before he gets here."

As much as Raito didn't want to admit weakness, he knew if this 'Billy Bob' was sent by Isha he would not be able to fight him off. He would end up passing out in the middle of the appointment anyway, the perfect chance for a strike. He yawned and wandered off to the back of the clinic to the resting room. Raito laid across a small sofa and fell asleep, realizing that this sofa was where L had slept on top of him.

* * *

_Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful prince who lived in the deep part of the forest. His parents were terrified that someone would try to kill him for the prince was blessed with beauty and intelligence. They sent him to live with his relatives in their secluded house. The prince grew bored at his family's house and often snuck out at night to wander around the forest. He would pack himself an apple and explore until daybreak. _

_One day, the prince stumbled across a small lake, where the treetops would part for the bright moonlight to shine upon the surface of the water. He sat down on a rock at the edge and took out his apple, polishing it on his old baggy shirt. _

_Just before the prince took a bite of the apple, a loud groan broke the silent tranquility of the lake. The prince jumped, looking around cautiously. "Who's there?" he called._

_The bushes vibrated and the prince inched back. The bushes parted and a black figure collapsed to the ground and crawled its way to the lake. The prince looked curiously at the weird shape that had seemed to not have seen him yet._

"_Hello," the prince greeted. The figure froze in place. Then, it moved again, standing up and moving closer to him. The prince grew worried, wondering if he made the right decision by talking to it. The figure moved closer still, until it was under the light of the moon. _

_In place of a dark figure, was a tall man with raven, messy hair, black eyes, deathly pale skin with black rings under his eyes, and a slouched posture. He blinked at the prince. "Hello," he crocked._

"_You sound terrible! Whatever is wrong?" the prince asked._

"_I have not been feeling well the past few days," the stranger said. "My stomach is in great pain."_

"_Did you eat something bad, stranger?" he asked again._

_The stranger shook his head, "No. I have been eating nothing but my favorite cakes and desserts but even they don't help at all."_

_The prince laughed, "Why, stranger, you have just said the problem yourself! No man can live off of cakes and desserts, you will get sick. Here…" He pulled out his shiny red apple and held it out for the man. "Try an apple." _

_The stranger took it carefully, by the stem with his forefinger and thumb, and examined it, "Do not worry, stranger," the prince said, "It is not poisoned."_

_The stranger nodded and took a cautious bite. He chewed it around in his mouth, getting a feel for the taste, "This is quite delicious. What is this called again? An apple, you say?" The prince nodded and the man quickly ate the apple, "I feel better already! Thank you, my good sir. As a reward, you may have one wish."_

"_One wish?" the prince repeated. "Wishes are for fairy tales, stranger. I hardly believe in fairy tales any more. _

_The stranger smiled and leaned in closer to the prince, "You best start believing in fairy tales, my good sir. You're in one."_

_The prince frowned, "I am afraid I do not follow."_

"_I am an elf, my good sir. For gratitude for healing my illness and showing me the greatness apples, I will grant you one wish."_

"_But I do not know what to wish for," the prince replied. "I do not need anything."_

_The stranger did not look any less pleased, "That is just as well. You may call me whenever you know what you would like to wish for." He grasped the prince's hand and shook it, "Thank you again, my good sir." And, in a flash, the elf stranger was gone. All that was left was an apple core and a piece of paper in his hand with the word 'Lawliet' written on it. _

"_Is this what he means by calling?" the prince wondered. _

_Two months later, the prince's aunt ran into their little cottage with news. She had heard terrible talk in the village about a deranged killer who is out to murder the prince. The prince shrugged it off as just a rumor and comforted his anxious aunt. Although, on the inside, the prince was just as scared as she was._

_That night, while the prince was sleeping in his bed, a loud crash emitted from the kitchen. The prince woke up startled, breathing heavily. He gulped and adorned his robe. He slowly crept down the stairs into the kitchen. _

_There stood a bulky man, going through the cupboards. The prince let out a surprised gasp and quickly covered his mouth. But the man had heard him. "The prince!" the man yelled, running toward him._

_The prince yelped and ran up the stairs and into his room, locking the door. The man chased him up those stairs and banged on the door, trying to knock it off its hinges. The prince cowered in the corner, showing tears and fear on his face for the first time in his life. "There's no one to save you now, prince!" The man yelled through the door._

_The prince shook his head although he knew it to be true. Who could save him now? As he pulled his arms around his knees, he accidently bumped the desk behind him and a slip of paper fell onto his lap. The prince took the piece of paper and read it, eyes widening. _

"_Lawliet…" he whispered. "Lawliet. Lawliet! LAWLIET!"_

_In almost a blink of the eye, warm arms were wrapped around his shivering body. "You only had to say it once, my good sir."_

_The prince gripped at the man, "Stranger, please. I know what I want." The pounding grew harder and the wood of the door was beginning to crack. "Please, kill him before he kills me!"_

"_So it is said, so it is done, my good sir," the elf said, patting the top of the prince's head._

_Just at that moment, the wood of the door gave in and cracked along the middle. The killer kicked the door once more for the wood to collapse to the floor completely. _

_The stranger stood up directly in front of the prince, forming a protective barrier between him and the killer. The killer paid no heed to the elf in front of him, his target set on the prince behind him. He charged forward._

_The elf stranger held up a hand, as if to signal the killer to stop. The killer ran straight into the open palm and a bright blue light emanated from the elf's hand. The light filled up the room and the prince shut his eyes. The light faded and the prince peeked an eye open when he deemed it safe. The elf stood in the same spot he had been but the killer was no longer there._

"_Where is he?" the prince asked, amazed._

"_Gone," the stranger answered simply. "You do not have to worry about him no longer, my good sir." He turned around to face him, "Or should I say prince?"_

"_You know?"_

"_I did not until I saw the killer. I know he has been targeting the prince of this nation for quite some time now. I did not think you were the one he was after."_

"_You saved me…" the prince whispered, as if it just dawned upon him. He stood up slowly, his legs feeling like jelly._

"_I did so because it was your wish. We are even now, my prince," the elf nodded and opened the window. As he was starting to climb out, the prince grabbed his white shirt._

"_Please do not go, stranger. You saved me. You are my hero. Please, do not leave me," the prince pleaded._

"_I am afraid you already used your wish, my prince. Unless you were to do something else for me, I cannot do anything else for you."_

"_Technically, I did you two favors! Once when I gave you the apple and the other when I taught you about them." _

"_But you did not know it would lead to two favors. Only the first one when you granted me the apple to cure my illness. The second one was implied," the elf said, hitching himself on top of the windowsill. _

"_No!" the prince grabbed his arm. "You can live at the castle with me, stranger. You can have all the apples you want. We have multiple kinds there. You can have your pick…"_

"_I'm sorry, my prince," the elf interrupted. "I cannot grant you anymore wishes. Please understand that."_

_The prince nodded, eyes downcast, but did not realize his grip on the elf, "… Then, can you do me one small favor, stranger? After this you are free to leave, I promise."_

_The elf was quiet but nodded, "I can do one small favor, I suppose."_

_The prince continued to look at the floor and through the moonlight, the elf could see a dusting of pink on his cheeks, "Could you, please, kiss me goodbye…?"_

_The elf watched the prince watching the floor. He smiled, his pointy ears twitching. He leaned in, lifting the prince's chin with his forefinger. "My dear prince…" the elf captured his lips. The skin was softer than he had imagined, and the lips were softer still. His hand caressed the prince's face as he titled his own and plunged deeper into the kiss. _

_The prince responded with ferocity, intertwining his arms around the elf's neck, pulling him closer. The elf nibbled on his bottom lip, silently asking for entrance. The prince opened his mouth and was quickly assaulted by a skilled, warm tongue. He moved his own tongue into the elf's mouth to gain an upper advantage. He felt hands gripping at his brunette hair, a moment's distraction that lost him his concentration and the battle. _

_The elf pulled back, grinning at the prince's labored breathing, "You humans have such tiny lungs. Thank you for the apple, my prince."_

_With that, the elf slipped out of the window and disappeared into the night. The prince looked through the open window, trying to spot the elf. He did not succeed. Suddenly, he remembered about the word that the stranger had written on the piece of paper. Maybe if he called it aloud again, he would return. He opened his mouth but the word had escaped him, as if he had never seen or said the word in his life. The prince panicked, going over and over through his mind to try and remember the word. _

_The paper! The prince thought, looking around at the floor for the piece of paper the elf had given him. But it was gone. There were no traces of it at all. The prince gasped in realization that the elf had taken the word from his memory and destroyed the paper with his magic. The solemn prince climbed back onto his bed, feeling rejected. _

_A month later, the prince returned to the castle where he was greeted with great enthusiasm. The prince took it all in but gave nothing back; he could not match with their passion. The poor prince spent the rest of his days wallowing in his room, staring out at the forest where he had first met the elf. _

_Some say the prince never left his room and died of a broken heart. Some say he got married and pretended to live happily ever after until he grew tired and killed himself. And to others, they believe the elf came back one night and stole the prince, taking him back to his home in the forest. _

* * *

"Raito-sensei, Raito-sensei." He heard whispering in his ear. He hummed as a response and flipped over in his sleep. "Raito-sensei, the first patient will be arriving soon. Please wake up now."

Reluctantly, Raito opened his eyes, blinking away the sleep. He saw Kiyomi standing over him, his white doctor coat in her hands. He pushed himself up and grabbed the coat.

"Did you have a nice nap, Raito-sensei?"

Raito shrugged on his coat. "It was refreshing."

"Did you have a dream?"

"Yes, but its fading fast,"

"I was just asking because you looked really sad when I came in. I guess if it was a sad dream, it's a good thing you're forgetting about it, right?" Kiyomi said with a small encouraging smile. "Misa will be arriving late today. Her brother forgot his homework and she has to drive it over to him. She'll be here during the first patient's appointment. Do your best today, Raito-sensei."

Raito shot her a sleepy smile, "Of course. I always do, Kiyomi-chan." He walked out of the resting room and into the examination room to clean it. He closed the door and sighed, dropping his sleepy smile. His eyes grew calculating and he frowned. He lied when he said he had forgotten all about the dream. He knew he was the prince and L was the elf stranger. He remembered how the elf stranger had left the prince. It didn't make him feel better on the inside.

Raito felt bad for lying to Kiyomi, she was the trustworthy one of the two nurses (Misa has betrayed him to Sayu for the last time) but he felt little comfort that he hadn't lied _completely_. He did forget a little detail. Like the prince, Raito had forgotten the elf's name. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't remember it.

And he thought that was the worst part of all.

* * *

Raito braced himself for the arrival of Billy Bob. Although he was well rested and in a better state of mind than when he was when he had accused the newcomer of being affiliated with the man out to kill him, he was still border lining paranoia.

The clock struck one o'clock, chiming softly, when the door opened revealing a pale young man with short spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He didn't look Asian at all. He smiled at Raito, his lips red and his teeth white.

"Helwo!" he spoke slowly with a terrible accent. "Yoo must be Dr. Lighto, right?"

"Yes, I'm Raito-sensei," he said, stressing the slight 'R' in his name.

"Tis a pleasaw, Docta!" Bob said happily, enthusiastically pumping Raito's hand. Raito quickly pulled his hand back and told him to follow him, with a perfectly placed fake warm smile. The man followed, smiling at the nurses who returned the smile, if not a bit less eager as his was.

Raito did not shut the door completely like he did with most patients, keeping it open just a tad in case this man attacked him someone would hear his screams easier, "What brings you here today, Bob-san?"

He seemed to have caught the man off guard, "I sorwy. I did not hear it. I am just lawrning Japanese,"

"Do you speak in any other language?" Raito asked slower.

Bob took a few seconds out to translate the sentence before clapping his hands, "Yes! I speake ingles and French."

He switched over to English, "_Is this easier?"_

Bob smiled brightly, nodding excitedly, "_Yes! I can understand you much better now! I hope I also sound just as different."_

"_You do, believe me," _Raito took out his manila folder with the name 'Bob, Billy' written on it, "_What brings you here today, Bob-san?"_

"_Well, I want to apply for a job but nobody would take my résumé without a physical. I just moved to Japan from America to study the language and nobody takes American doctor approvals."_

Raito nodded, scribbling down a note, _"Okay, then would you please take off your shirt?"_

Bob gasped in jesting surprise, _"Doctor! I couldn't! We've just met!"_ Raito ignored the comment, snapping at him to get it done. Bob had laughed in response, pulling off his shirt. Raito was surprised to see a long run of scars down his chest and back. _"Don't bother asking about them, doc," _Bob grinned. "_You wouldn't believe me anyway."_

As Raito was giving his check-up, he discovered (or gained evidence for his theory) that Billy Bob was quite a talker. He told the doctor his entire life story from the time he was in diapers to the strawberry donut he ate on the way to the clinic. Raito nodded dumbly as he checked his blood pressure, barely registering Bob's story on the stalkers in America.

"_My sister had one and my brother had one and my mom had one and my dad had one and my grandfather had one and my cat had one and my imaginary friend had one…"_

"_Yes, very fascinating…" _Raito muttered, recording the man's healthy blood pressure. He pulled out his ear examination tool. _"Turn your head please…"_

The man continued to babble on as Raito checked his clean ears. He scribbled that down as well. _"Well, you seem to be in perfect condition, Bob-san. Do you exercise and eat well regularly?"_

"_Well, I don't exercise that much, I just have a good metabolism, I guess. I eat a lot of strawberries and cherries though. Especially apples."_

Raito looked up at the beaming man and couldn't help to smile back, _"Now here's a patient who knows how to take care of his self."_

"_Well, you know the saying, doc, 'an apple a day keeps the doctor a way'!" _Bob laughed, then paused, blinking at Raito. _"You know doc…"_ he suddenly grinned, leaning forward, _"You're down right sexy. I'm not all too sure if I want you away!" _Raito stiffened at the wink tossed his way.

"_Bob-san, I will ask you to refrain using inappropriate remarks about your doctor. That is frowned upon here in Japan..." _Raito started, but got cut off midsentence by a 'pfft' noise from his patient.

"_Who needs to know? A one night stand won't kill nobody, no how," _Bob said, although if he really did work for Isha, a one night stand would kill him.

Raito opened his mouth again to tell the man off, manners or not, when Bob leaned in closer, until their lips touched in the briefest of contact. The doctor jumped back and punched the man straight across the jaw. Bob flew to the ground, landing on his side. He sat up and rubbed his cheek, _"That stings, doc. I barely kissed you and you attacked me as if I were trying to rip your clothes off with my mouth! Do you have a problem with people touching you? A germ phobia, hmm?"_

Raito caught his breath, regaining his posture, _"I have someone and I do not like to be unfaithful."_

Bob's demeanor perked up significantly, _"Truly? You have a lover?"_

"_Isn't that what I just said?"_

"_I was just clarifying, doc," _Bob stood up, rubbing his bruised side. _"This changes things. This changes the whole thing."_

"Are you done now? Can you leave?" Raito growled, too agitated to translate for the man.

Bob walked past him with an aura of elegance, taking time to stop and look over his shoulder at him, "I can take a hint when I'm not wanted. But if you ever want to take up that offer, you have my number," he winked, grinning wildly. On the way out, he also sent a flirty wink at the nurses. They practically yawned in apathy as he closed the clinic door behind him. But once the door 'clicked' into place, they were on him like hunting dogs, all apathy out the window and in the trash.

"What happened? We heard the crash! Are you hurt? He pulled out a knife, didn't he?" Misa inquired, hands curled into a fist as if ready to stalk out to the parking lot and give Billy Bob what's coming to him.

"No, he tried to come onto you, right?" Kiyomi asked, calmer than her overdramatic coworker but just as curious.

"Stupid Kiyomi-chan!" Misa laughed cruelly, "I told you before, Bob-san wouldn't go after Raito-sensei that way; he's out for his throat!"

"No, Kiyomi-chan's right," Raito said, sending Misa into a state of frenzy and Kiyomi into a fit of uncharacteristic 'OH YEAH! BEAT THAT BITCH!'

"Goddamnit!" Misa yelled. Raito was touched that the blonde nurse cared so much about him until she pulled out her wallet from her back pocket and handed over a twenty dollar bill. "I was hoping you would be slaughtered, Raito-sensei! Goddamn you and your good looks." She halted in her curses to speak softer, "You're okay, right, Raito-sensei? He really didn't try to… well, rape you or anything did he?"

"No! He offered me a one night stand and then kissed me."

"That's all?" Raito nodded and the nurses sighed in relief simultaneously, "That's good. I was worried he had thrown you on the ground with the crash that we heard."

"I had punched him after he kissed me, that's all," Raito explained, handing Kiyomi the manila folder.

She took it and Misa frowned, "He wasn't that bad looking, Raito-sensei. And he's a health nut, like you!" she exclaimed, looking over at his perfect health record. "Why didn't you accept? You never go out, never show any interest; you're such a stick in the mud! I'm sure Bob-san thought so too!"

"He didn't think that," Raito defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest, "I told him I denied him because I was in a relationship and don't like to be disloyal."

The nurses' mouths dropped open, "You did what?!" Misa shrieked.

"Raito-sensei, you're not in a relationship. Why did you lie to him?"

"I'm not too sure. I didn't trust him, that's for sure. But, it just felt right saying that," Raito said, half wondering why he felt like he was in a commitment when he truly wasn't.

"Raito-sensei, I know this is kind of… taboo, but…" Misa twiddled her fingers, nervously, "You're in love with Ryuuga Hideki-kun, right? Maybe that's why you felt the need to say you were in a relationship because you still feel like you have an obligation to him…"

"He is far from my mind, Misa-chan," Raito gritted out. "Hideki-san has no bearing on this situation at all. He and Bob-san have that in common; I do not care about either of them. Hideki-san is annoying and Bob-san is stupid. He can't even speak… Japanese…" Realization hit the doctor like a ton of bricks five minutes too late, "THAT BASTARD!"

"What happened?" Misa asked, scratching her head.

"Did you not hear that incredibly phony attempt at Japanese? He was pretending he couldn't speak it very well so I translated everything into English but once he left he spoke Japanese and it was flawless! He spoke better Japanese than Misa-chan!"

"HEY!"

* * *

Raito arrived home around nine thirty, late for dinner but early enough to catch his family watching TV. He slipped off his shoes, spotting his sister's and his mother's but not his father's. He was still most likely at work, struggling to find the killer before he killed his son.

In the living room, his sister and mother were lazing on the couch, watching the news, "You're late tonight, Raito," his mother commented, smiling in greeting. "You said you would be home for dinner. What happened?"

"Misa-chan and Kiyomi-chan decided to take me out for dinner because I had won a bet today on whether Misa-chan could eat a whole spoonful of wasabi. She couldn't and they took me to a restaurant. I was going to call but I had forgotten my cell phone at home," he flashed an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Next time I won't leave you out in the dark."

His mother nodded and turned off the TV. "I understand. If you're hungry there are some leftovers in the refrigerator. We were just about to get ready for bed," She beamed at her daughter, yawning sleepily.

"Is Father at work?" Sachiko nodded. "Okay. I'm also going to bed. I had a lot of patients today," he kissed his mother goodnight on the cheek and helped half asleep Sayu up the stairs. He led her to her room and closed the door behind him.

As Raito undressed in his room, he spotted a lone origami star on his desk. The paper used to make it was blue with red hearts, the saying, 'I LOVE YOU' scattered in various areas. He picked it up gently, observing the star carefully. He rolled the star on his palm, almost memorized by it. He touched it gently with his forefinger, afraid to apply too much pressure.

He broke out of his trance when he heard a smug voice, "You're dating someone?"

Raito spun around to find his little sister leaning against his doorframe, looking as if she ruled the world through blackmailing everyone, "Sayu? I thought you were half asleep."

Sayu shrugged and pushed herself off of the doorframe, "And I thought you were single."

"I am single."

"But you told that patient you were taken."

"Goddamn that Misa…"

"You're really not dating anybody behind my back are you, Raito?" Raito had a strange feeling that anybody could interpret this into a different meaning that a conversation between a brother and a sister. "Unless you're going out with Hideki-kun, of course."

"What is that supposed to mean, Sayu?" He growled, too tired to play any games.

"Misa told me about Hideki-kun and how depressed your being because he left. She said you lied your way out of a relationship because of him."

"It wasn't a relationship he was offering; it was a one night stand. And so what if I lied my way out of it? It had nothing to do with Hideki-san!"

"Misa, Kiyomi, and I think differently," Sayu smirked, resembling too much like her older brother for Raito's comfort.

"Sayu, will you drop this?"

"No! Raito, you're obviously hurting on the inside! Would you please just tell me what's wrong?"

Raito's eye brow twitched before he flew into a fury. "What do you want me to say?" he hissed hotly, barley keeping his voice down as to not wake his mother. "That I made the stupidest mistake of my entire life by acting two seconds too slow? That I'm constantly haunted by his memory because people can't learn how to take a hint that I don't want to talk about him? That every little detail of this world, every waking moment, and every goddamn dream reminds me of him so much I want to curl up and die? Is that what you wanted to hear, Sayu? That your older brother is being driven insane by a man who he will never see again because he practically told him not to?" Raito shoved past her, stormed down the stairs, out of the house, slammed the door, and threw himself in his car, driving twenty miles over the speed limit down the street

* * *

LOL that fairy tale dream. I swear I was half asleep when I wrote it. It really has no place in here at all but I loved it so much I couldn't bring myself to cut it out.

Reviews? Yeah? They're freakin' awesome.


	16. Chapter 16

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

My life is complete thanks to reviews. Thank you for taking time to review. Let's review some more! Please stick with this story!

I would have updated sooner but I was at Drum Major Academy! Woot! Captain of my color guard! Who else is a marching band geek?

* * *

"_Raito! Raito!" A gruff voice from too much smoking sang terribly out of tune, "Raito! Raito!"_

_He didn't exactly know what was going on or where he was but Raito's instinct told him to run away, as far as he possibly could. He ran hard and fast, as if he actually knew what was behind him. There were no surroundings to observe, no building to hide in, no bush to crawl under, no wall to climb… just blackness. That didn't stop Raito from looking anyway. His lungs started to constrict, making breathing close to impossible. All these years of healthy eating and exercise were failing him the moment he needed it most. As he struggled in vain to refresh his lungs with oxygen, the taunting call of his name rang in his ears. The voice sounded closer than it did a few moments ago. _

_He felt a cold hand clutch at his arm, pulling him off track. Raito screamed, thrashing in the grip. Another hand quickly covered his mouth and a low "Shh" blew into his ear. He was quiet, too scared to move. The only sounds were that of his beating heart and the repeating song of his name sounding off from the distance. Raito's breathing came in harder as he realized that the man singing for him was not the man who had him at his mercy. _

"_If I let you go, will you stay silent?" Raito nodded his head but mentally crossed his fingers. The man, true to his word, realized him and Raito, not so true to his word, opened his mouth to emit a loud scream. The man saw the attempt coming and quickly slapped his hand down over his mouth once more. "I told you to shut it, didn't I?" he growled, "I'll talk to you like this._

"_I know that you had run away from your family today. I want to know why."_

_Raito bit at the palm, informing the man he couldn't speak with his mouth covered. The hand lifted slightly, "I was being tortured in that house by my family."_

"_Why?"_

"_They didn't know that they were crossing taboo lines."_

"_Such as?"_

"_You don't have any obligation to hear about my problems."_

"_I believe I do."_

"_I don't think…" _

_A warm, familiar mouth covered his, "I believe I do, Raito-kun."_

_He pulled back and was met with the most gorgeous face etched with concern. "L…"_

"_Will you now tell me why, Raito-kun?"_

_Raito felt tears well up in his eyes. When was this going to end? When was the real dream going to take over? The ones he's been having for weeks now that always ended in L leaving and waking up with a freshly broken heart. Why couldn't he… "Leave me alone…?"_

"_I will not leave you alone, Raito-kun. I need to know why you left your family's protection."_

_Raito clutched his fists, ready to throw them at L's face at any given moment. "It's all your fault! It's your fault I'm paranoid! Your fault I'm moody! Your fault people are treating me like a china doll! I want my life back!"_

"_If Raito promises to return to his family's house, I will leave him alone," _

"_You can't promise that. You have no control over my dreams, over the radio, over what people say…"_

"_Please, Raito-kun, all I'm asking is for you to return to your parent's house. It's not safe for you…"_

"_Because of Isha? I'm half considering letting the man kill me to end this torture!"_

"_Raito-kun doesn't mean that…" L said quietly, "He doesn't mean that…"_

"_How do you know if I mean that or not?" he yelled back. "You don't know the pain I'm going through!"_

_L pressed his lips to his again. They were as warm and as soft as he had remembered. Tears poured from his brown eyes, mingling in their kiss giving it a salty taste. Raito clutched at L's shoulders like a life line and L's grip on his hair wasn't any softer. When they broke apart, Raito let out a small gasp when he noticed water streaming from L's black eyes like his own, "I believe, Raito-kun that I know exactly how much pain you're in."_

"_L…"_

"_Please, Raito-kun, if you won't do it for your own sake, then do it for mine, please go back to your family. Until Isha is caught, I want you as safe as possible."_

_Raito nodded numbly, "Yes…"_

* * *

"Nhhhn…" Blinking away the sleep, Raito stretched out his cramped muscles. He rubbed his eyes; his vision starting to focus on the white walls of his clinic's resting room. He wondered briefly why he was here before his screams at Sayu rang in his head.

After his dramatic exit, Raito had immediately decided to head to clinic. The thought of Isha possibly camping out in here for reasons unknown never crossed his mind. Maybe this wasn't such a good hiding spot.

Raito spotted his phone on the table, tossed there in angry frustration the night before. He picked it up, flipping it open, cursing when he saw he had twenty seven missed calls, thirty three text messages and twenty seven voice mails.

_Father work: "RAITO! Where are you? Your sister called saying you had left the house! Don't make me leave work to come and get you. Because I will and you know it. Call your mother right away to tell her your safe and coming home RIGHT NOW. Do you hear me? RIGHT NOW!!"_

_Sayu cell: "Raito! I didn't mean to get you so upset! Please come home… I'm really sorry. Dad's really mad and Mom is about to burst into tears. Please call."_

_Home: "Raito! This is your mother. Please call! Where are you? It's not safe at night. Please come home or let us know where you are. Please call soon."_

_Father cell: "RAITO! It's been half an hour since I called! Why didn't you call back? I left work and I'm twenty seconds from strangling the nearest person. You know how unsafe it is for you to be alone with Erochikku Isha running loose. If you don't call within the next two minutes, I swear to God, you're as good as dead."_

_Sayu cell: "Raiiiiiitooooo! Why didn't you tell me you were on the hit list of some criminal? Please come home! We're so worried! You could be dead and my last memory of you will be of us fighting! Call me please Raito!"_

_Home: "Raito… your father told us about Isha-san. How you're next on his list and… and… Raito please! Don't make me worry so much! Please call! You've been gone for two hours! Surly you must have blown off some steam enough to call us back. Your father is half tempted to bring in a search team. Please don't do this…"_

_Father cell: "RAITO! I'm outside your clinic and I see your car in the parking lot! I know you're in there! Open the door! I know you can hear me. Keeping the door locked and the lights off won't stop me. Open this door!"_

With a wave of cold anxiety washing over him, Raito deleted all of his messages, the majority of them unheard and unread. He pressed the speed dial for his house and held it up to his ear. He felt terrible for making his family go through all that torture and fear. He had genuinely forgotten that his life was at stake and that running off like that was the worst thing he could possibly do. His mind was on L and how to rid his mind of him. His brain was in such frenzy that his energy had quickly depleted and was near empty when he arrived at the clinic. He had stumbled his way into the resting room before collapsing on the couch.

The phone was answered on the first ring, _"RAITO!"_

"Hello Father."

"_Don't you 'Hello Father' me! Do you know how much torture you put us all through last night?!"_

"You knew where I was…"

"_Not until two hours after you left! And we didn't know if you were killed in the meantime! You mentioned that Isha had snuck into your clinic before. It is very possible for him to do it again. Were you thinking at all?"_

"No, I wasn't and I apologize."

"_What were you so angry about that made you run?_" his father asked softer. He was still angry, of course, but Raito could tell he was trying to control himself. _"Sayu had said you two had an argument." _He felt his heart stop. Did Sayu tell their parents about L? No, if that were the case his father wouldn't ask about why he was so angry.

"Sayu had gotten another lie from Misa and I was so fed up with the both of them ganging up on me, I left. As soon as I got here, I fell asleep and never heard my phone ringing or you pounding on the front door. It had been a long day at work."

"_You're safe though, right? Not harmed in anyway?"_

"No, I'm completely fine. I really am sorry I made you worry so much."

His father sighed, _"I was really hoping not to tell your mother and sister about Isha. I didn't want them in as much stress as we are in right now."_

"It'll all be over soon, Father. In two days Isha-san will be caught and we can return to a normal life…" _Except for me. _Raito added in his thoughts. Erochikku Isha was the only link between himself and L. Once this case was over, L would continue to his next case, next country, next possible victims and would forget about the doctor that treated him like unwanted gum on the bottom of his shoe.

"_Yes, on Friday, about ten police officers will be appointed to your clinic. They will be undercover but they will tell you who they are when they arrive. One of them will be one of my own, on the Isha case and the rest are trained undercover professionals. When Isha arrives, they will spring out and capture him. We have a prediction that Isha will strike at the closest bar to your work the day before. L wants him captured tomorrow so he never steps in your office. But just in case, we will still have men with instructions to capture him the moment he steps foot into your office. Did you cancel the rest of the appointments on Friday?"_

"Yes, Kiyomi-chan canceled them just yesterday."

"_Good, good." _There was a heavy pause. _"Can you come home for a little while?" _his father coughed. _"Well, I mean, we just really want to see you. To make sure you're okay. Just for a few hours and then you can go back to work…"_

Raito beamed, chuckling softly, "Of course, Father. I'll be home soon."

* * *

"_What do you think of tax refunds?"_

"_Tax refunds? L, you've only got twenty questions to start with. Why waste an opportunity to find some juicy details about my life with a question like tax refunds?"_

_L hummed, tapping his fingers on top of his lover's head, catching and releasing the soft brunette strands. Raito grabbed the hand from his hair and brought it to his lips, snuggling closer to the warm body. L brought the blanket to cover Raito's shoulder and replaced his hand with his chin. They watched the snow fall out the window in the cold, thankful to be curled up on the couch. _

"_I suppose knowing how you feel about tax refunds could be beneficial…" L commented. Raito scoffed, knowing full well he was pulling that out of his ass._

"_I don't feel anything for tax refunds. They're there. That's about all," he looked up. "And you? You promised that you would answer the questions too as long as you got to ask them. You didn't forget, did you?"_

"_Of course not, Raito-kun," L sounded insulted, to answer the question, I don't deal with my taxes so I really have no opinion of tax refunds."_

"_Then why did you ask?!"_

"_I suppose I was curious…" He tapped his fingers on the hand that held them. Raito told him to continue. "What is your favorite song?"_

_Raito paused, thinking, "I really don't listen to music that often but I do enjoy 'Viva la Vida' by Coldplay."_

"_The English song? Yes, that is a good song. I think my favorite would be 'Candyman' by Aqua."_

_Raito punched his arm lightly, "You're not taking this seriously, are you? That really bubbly song that makes you want to chew bubblegum while wearing pink and pigtails?"'_

"… _I do not know what runs through Raito-kun's fantasies but I assure you that I do not want to chew bubblegum while wearing pink and pigtails when I hear that son." Raito flushed dark red. "But, yes, I am being serious. I said I would be so here I am being serious."_

"_You seem more like a classical kind of person to me, not Aqua of all things."_

"_It is just that one song, Raito-kun, because it pertains to candy, of course. Next question: What is your favorite color?"_

"_Red."_

"_Blue."_

"_Favorite movie?"_

"'_Schindler's List'."_

"_That is a terribly depressing movie, Raito-kun. I admit it was very touching but I was disconsolate for weeks after watching it," L said._

_Raito shrugged, "The girl in the red coat spoke to me, I guess. What's your favorite movie? 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'?"_

"_How did Raito-kun know?" L asked in monotone surprise._

"_You mean it really is your favorite?!"_

"_Yes. Imagine living in a world made of chocolate and candy, Raito-kun. I could die of happiness."_

"_Then you wouldn't be living in that world…" Raito muttered._

"_What is your favorite book?"_

"'_The Scarlet Letter'."_

"_I'm seeing a reoccurring theme of red, Raito-kun. Favorite color, girl in the red coat, 'The Scarlet Letter'… Ah, but I guess my favorite would be 'Tuesdays with Morrie'. Morrie is such an interesting old man. One could learn a lot from him. Shakespeare play?"_

"'_Hamlet'."_

"'_Macbeth'."_

"_Why 'Macbeth'?"_

"_Why 'Hamlet'? Language?"_

"_What do you mean by language? That's such a weird question."_

"_I would like Raito-kun to answer anyway."_

"_Latin, I suppose. It's dead but a lot of names come from Latin. It's interesting."_

"_I prefer French. The language of romance, mon amour." Raito smiled. "Time of day?"_

"_You ask the weirdest questions- dusk."_

"_I prefer midnight. It's the witching hour, you know. Animal?"_

"_Hawk."_

"_I like owls, they seem so intelligent…"_

"_Have you been watching Winnie the Pooh lately?"_

"_Of course not, Raito-kun. I do not indulge in such childish activities." L expected the snicker. "What is your favorite season?"_

"_I like summer but it's too hot so I'll say spring. It's just the right temperature."_

"_I like winter so I can cozy up to Raito-kun like this," L smiled, pulling him closer, snuggling his face into his brown hair. "Favorite flower?"_

"_Red roses. The flower of love."_

"_Another red, Raito-kun?" L chuckled, "I like roses as well, white roses, that is. The flower of purity."_

"_You're not that pure, L," Raito said, flicking his nose. "You're the evil sex fiend out of the two of us."_

"_My next question, Raito-kun… will you kiss me?"_

_Raito blinked, looking up again, "I… well… yes." L brought his lips down, covering Raito's in a gentle kiss. They didn't dare break the purity by moving. Lips against lips, they stayed. Raito pulled back, eyes gazed._

"_If Raito-kun had one day left to live, what would he do with it?"_

_He snapped out of his daze quickly, "I would spend it with you, of course. Doing whatever you wanted to do."_

"_Even if you were the one dying? You would ask me what I wanted to do?"_

"_Yes. I would be dead the next day so our activities wouldn't matter to me. But you would still be here and would remember my last day so I would want it to be happiest for you."_

_L frowned, leaning his chin on top of his head again, "Raito-kun spoils me. I do not feel worthy because I would spend my last day working on all the cases I could."_

_Raito shrugged, trying not to let his answer bother him too much, "You'll be saving the world. I can understand that."_

"_What do you regret most?"_

"_Regret? As in something I did? I guess not acting on my feelings sooner…"_

_L nodded, knowing what his lover was saying, "I suppose I have similar regrets. Pushing myself too hard, you understand."_

"_I do."_

"_How about this scenario: What would happen in a world without clocks?"_

_L could feel the surprise of the question running through Raito's body, "Well, that depends. Are we talking about if we never had them or all the clocks just disappeared?"_

"_Disappeared."_

"_I guess we would make new ones or find some other timing system."_

"_I think it would be interesting to have the world run chaotic for a while before somebody stepped up to take control."_

"_You're a little psychopath, aren't you?"_

"_No, my lovely Raito-kun, I believe that's you," he said with a plant of his lips on his head. "Fill in this statement: My life would not be complete without…?"_

"_L."_

_Said man's shoulders slumped, "Once again, Raito-kun spoils me greatly. My answer was cake."_

"_I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that one."_

"_Do you believe in life after death?"_

"_Some people consider that a very touchy subject, L."_

"_Raito-kun doesn't."_

"_No, I don't. I do not believe in life after death. If we're dead, we're dead. End of story."_

"_That sounds so cold, though, Raito-kun. Doesn't it sound nice to leave the cruelty of Earth behind and float up to Heaven where I could stay with Raito-kun forever?"_

"_But do you believe in it? You're saying it sounds nice but do you actually believe in it?"_

"_No, I don't but it would be preferred if I had a choice. Do you believe in God?"_

"_No. There is no such thing as a Higher Being. It's not probable."_

"_And neither do I, Raito-kun. How about Fate? Do you believe in that?"_

"_I'm not sure. I do not think I do."_

"_I do not but sometimes I wonder if us meeting was an accident or not. We fit each other too well to be written off as accident."_

"_Like soul mates?"_

"_Yes, like soul mates."_

"_I think we would make good soul mates, if such a thing existed." _

"_We would," L agreed. "On to the topic of love, do you believe in love at first sight?"_

"_No, not really. I think it is love after saying, 'Leave me alone!' fifty times."_

"_That's lovely, Raito-kun, thank you. I also do not believe in love at first sight. Lust, yes, love no."_

_Raito held up one finger, "You have one more question, L. Better make it a meaningful one."_

"_I already have it," L answered a split second later. "Do you love me?"_

_Raito smiled softly, hugging the detective, "Of course I do. I love you with all my heart. Do you love me back?" _

BEEP BEEP BEEP

* * *

If you haven't realized, I am a freaking hopeless romantic. If there's drama, the best way to solve it is with tears, angry speechs and make out make ups. I'm trying to calm my characters down (especially Raito), they're getting OOC.

Yeah, sorry, this chapter was mostly dreams. I apologize especially to those who are tired of the dreams. Believe me, I feel your pain. I considered cutting the last one out (the first one is important) but the second one was too darn cute! We need a cute uplifting before the next chapter.

You heard right! Isha next chapter! WHOOT! I'm excited! Who's excited!

Reviews make me update faster and you want the next chapter ASAP! DRAMA! SUSPENSE! ROMANCE! Gah so exciting.


	17. Chapter 17

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Thank you for the reviews! I eat them for breakfast! …?

* * *

Raito fidgeted in his seat and his nurses could see it perfectly. They had given him tea, a massage, turned on some comforting music, and a teddy bear to hold. His nervousness showed like a neon sign above his head. The police men around his clinic were at a loss as to how to help the poor doctor. They decided space was the best thing and would send him encouraging comments every so often.

There was only one police officer with a goal of breaking the tense atmosphere. His name was Yamamoto. "Yagami-san! This song is my jam! ENDLESSLY!! I'LL SOMETHING SOMETHING ENDLESSLY!"

Raito didn't bother to tell the poor man that his lyrics were terribly butchered. He just nodded at him, dismissing him, and then cursed at Misa for turning on that haunting song. He glanced at the clock, seeing only two more hours until Isha arrived for his very early in the morning appointment. His father said he would call him by four thirty and here he was a half an hour later, freaked out of his mind.

The ten police men were all wearing regular street clothes, looking like patients of his waiting for their appointment. Three were in the front lobby, two were in the resting room, another two were in the examinations rooms, two were in the back room, and the last one was patrolling back and forth in the hallway. Luckily for Raito, Yamamoto was one of the men in the front lobby which was connected to the front desk where he was sitting at.

All thirteen of them waited in complete silence, except for Yamamoto's random burst outs. But they never lasted more than thirty seconds before he was told to hush up. Raito squirmed in his seat, ignoring the bear Misa had offered him. Nerves were eating at his stomach. He was sitting on death's row and in less than two hours he would walk up to the guillotine. He prayed that the blade would fail to work; that a large chunk of wood would find its way into the framing and stop the blade from reaching his neck. Raito caught Yamamoto attempting to balance a pencil on his nose and thought what a terrible chunk of wood he was banking his life on.

At six sharp, the sound of screeching tires shook everybody from their anxious daze. Raito's heart jumped into his throat. Isha was an hour too early! The police men tapped at their pockets for their gun. They tried to appear as normal as possible while keeping a trained eye out. There was a few male shouts coming from outside, along with multiple car door slams. Raito's body shook. Did Isha bring multiple men with him? Would they overcome the policemen and succeed in killing him?

The front door flew open, revealing a huffing policeman in uniform, holding up his badge. Yamamoto had recognized him immediately, "Aizawa! What happened?"

The man, Aizawa, looked panicky. "We caught Isha but we've got an injury. Please, Yagami-sensei," he said to Raito, "you've got to save him!"

Raito nodded, still slightly dazed, "Bring him in."Another police officer came in wheeling a stretcher. He ran to the man, uncovering his face from the blanket.

He screamed.

"_L!!!"_

* * *

Two more chapters til Isha

* * *

End Part Raito


	18. Chapter 18

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Thank you for the reviews!!! It's my fuel!

I know the last chapter was a bit confusing. But know we're going to go through L's point of view! Woot! I'm taking you through what happened in the past few chapters so if you forgot anything, just go back.

* * *

"You know, Master L," Watari commented, standing behind his employer, "three apples a day is a bit melodramatic, don't you think?"

L took a hefty bite, "No, I do not think so. Yagami-sensei made it very clear that he did not want me so I will do my best to fulfill those wishes. As they say, Watari…"

"'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'," Watari finished for him. "I know, L. You've been saying that line nearly six times a day for the past two weeks now."

"It is not my fault you do not remember it the first eighty four times," he finished his apple, down to the very core, and tossed it in the waste basket besides him. "I am still hungry. Another apple if you will, Watari. And a bowl of cherries, while you're at it." Watari sighed but bowed on his way out.

L looked back as he left with a frown. He has known the elder man for many years and sometimes he still doesn't completely understand him. For the past few years, he's been trying to force healthy foods into L's strict sugar only diet and now that he's actually eating fruit, replacing nearly all of his cakes with apples, cherries, strawberries and blueberries, Watari has been acting like eating those foods will cause him to drop onto the floor with a heart attack. L didn't understand him much as of late but he shrugged and continued to work.

Two more victims, two more closer to Raito, have died since the date. They were both similar to the forth murder where the man had his heart ripped out of his chest. The first victim, which took place about three days after the date, had her heart ripped from her chest and it was stowed away in a glass container full of salt water. Her entire chest was covered in bruises. L believed Isha had probably been going through some rough times and took his anger out on the girl before stabbing a knife through her chest to receive her heart. He had a sinking feeling his anger was the result of his failure to find and kill Raito.

The second victim was just a mess when he was found. His brain had been torn from inside his skull along with his heart, his stomach, his penis and, the skin from his chest. All of these body parts were pounded repeatedly with a sledge hammer into one large pink and red pile of mush.

L stared at these pictures long and hard, looking for clues, until their blood drenched faces morphed into the doctor's. He tossed the pictures away, refusing to be mind-raped again. Instead, he looked through monitor three, watching the police force work.

One could say L felt a bit of remorse. After all, thirteen hours of work was tough. L himself worked nearly twenty four hours, taking a fifteen to half an hour break twice. His style quickly turned into a dictatorship once he found his deadline, just two weeks short of two months. He couldn't sleep, for fear of dreaming of Raito, couldn't stop, in fear of day dreaming of Ratio, and couldn't stop working, in fear of running out of time to save Raito. His world still revolved around that doctor but soon, he hoped, when this case is over, he would be able to move forward.

But for now, this case is still unsolved, Raito Yagami is still in danger, and his workers are still working until one in the morning.

Matsuda stretched on the screen, yawning widely. The poor guy looked so exhausted, they all did. L glanced at the clock, ten thirty. He then peeked over at monitor one, the camera pointed right outside the doctor's clinic. Raito was shutting the front door behind him, locking it, and waving goodbye at his nurses. Nodding, L pressed the intercom button, "I believe you all have worked hard enough for today. Please head on home and review over your work process. I shall meet with you again tomorrow." He clicked another button and the investigation room on the screen faded into black. He knew on their end of the computer, his L insignia with the white background had faded as well.

Watari returned as Raito climbed into his car and drove off. In his hands were a bowl of cherries and another ripe red apple. L took the apple first and took a small bite out of it. "You know, Master L," Watari chuckled, "That poor homeless man has been so depressed these past two weeks now that you started eating the apples instead of tossing them out the window. I caught him staring up at the clouds, as if waiting for it to rain fruit."

L took another chomp of the apple, "Maybe we should give him the kiwi. It is too sour for my tastes."

"I suppose that is a good suggestion. I had felt bad and I dropped an apple down for him."

L turned to look at him, "Just now? You wasted one of my apples?" Watari nodded. "That's one day closer to seeing Yagami-sensei. Watari, you are not making this any easier for me."

"L, you're eating three or four apples a day, the saying only says one. He needs them to live, L."

"And I need them to stay healthy and away from the doctor's office," L retorted, swerving around in his chair to switch monitor one from the camera by the clinic to the camera outside of Raito's room. He glanced over at monitor two which held all of case information. He flicked it off.

"L? What are you doing?"

"I would like to rest. I am quite tired. Even I have my limits, Watari," L smiled wearily, pushing himself off of his chair. When he reached his room, two floors up from the computer room, he literally collapsed into the bed, not having slept for more than an hour at a time for the past two weeks.

* * *

Two days later, L felt refreshed and ready to work at full force. Unfortunately, his police task force didn't. When he had sent them home early the other day, they caught a whiff of home and craved more. Their work has been more sluggish and lazier than ever. L pressed the intercom at six thirty, the time he noticed Raito leaving work early too, "I've decided to let you all go home for dinner. I'm sure your family misses you very much."

There was a collected sigh of relief. "Thank you, L," Deputy Yagami said, "I'm sure my wife and daughter are very worried about my son and I. He's been working very hard these days."

"He must be anxious," L said, "It is not uncommon for worried people, such as your son, to drown themselves in work to keep their mind off of their problems."

"I know we can capture Isha, L," Deputy Yagami grinned. "My son won't have much to worry about soon enough." L agreed and said goodbye as his team walked out of the door.

* * *

It wasn't until a little after ten that L got any exciting news. He worked diligently until Watari burst into the computer room, a black cell phone and a red apple in hand. He handed both off to him.

"What's this Watari?" L asked, holding up the cell phone in between his thumb and forefinger.

"You had ordered me to inform you if Yagami-sensei should ever call…"

"And he called?" L beamed, looking at the phone with newfound interest. He flicked it open and searched through the recorded messages.

"_Hello?"_

"_Uh! Err… um…"_ There was a cough_, "Hello. This is Doctor Raito Yagami…" _L could have cried listening to Raito's voice again but kept a stolid mask, knowing Watari was studying his face for any signs of emotion.

"_Ah! Young Yagami-sensei! This is Watari. How may I help you?"_

"_H-how is L doing? He said he would start eating healthier but he loves so much junk food that I don't think he'll follow through…" _L almost let out of snort at Raito's predictable distrust.

"_Oh, my boy! L is doing splendidly! He's working harder and feeling better than he has in years. He's taken quite a liking to apples; I would have never guessed it. He eats about three or four of them a day!"_

"_O-oh."_

"_And that's not all, Yagami-sensei. L has also been eating more cherries, strawberries, grapefruit, and blueberries. He hasn't touched a piece of chocolate cake in two weeks! It's a miracle I say! I must really thank you, doctor. I predict L will be in perfect health within days the way he's going!"_

"_Yeah… Hey, Watari? Could you do me a favor and not tell him I called? I don't want to seem like a nosy, untrusting guy, you understand."_

"_Of course, Yagami-sensei. Thank you very much. Please do not worry about L no longer. Goodbye!"_

L closed the phone and handed it back. "You sound overly positive, Watari."

"You don't want to meet him again, isn't that right? If I sounded like you weren't getting better, he might request you return for a checkup. The best way to discourage him is to make it sound like you're better off without him."

L nodded, both knowing that that last statement was the complete opposite of the truth.

* * *

The next day L was stunned to not see Raito leave for work. His father had said that his son refused to get up and that he made no move to force him out. He encouraged this day off. L's mind and eyes were more often on monitor one than monitor two. Around one o'clock the window in Raito's bedroom opened. L leaned forward in his seat, positive he was going to sneak out. Instead, the doctor sat next to the window, tossing an unknown object out while looking sadistic.

L zoomed in on the camera to see Raito was crushing little stars and tossing them out the window. Raito's words rang in his mind:"_So I made little origami stars for the past week. You know, L, they say that if you make one thousand, and make a wish for every star, they'll come true."_

So Raito was giving up his dreams, is that it? L pondered, watching each little star land on the grass. Once in a while, the doctor would look at the camera L hacked into, smirking.

Around two, Raito paused in his crushing, just briefly, as his sister entered the room. They chatted for a while, stars continuing to be squished and thrown out the window, and soon Raito stopped and left the room, his sister trailing behind. The front door opened moments later and the two siblings entered Raito's car. L pouted, knowing that would be all of stalking Raito time for the time being. Instead of watching a boring house, he changed the camera to the park. It wasn't that crowded, he noticed, but there was certainly a large amount of couples. Seeing them all over each other made L frown and turn back to his work.

As L dotted the many victims' warehouses on a map of Japan, he found his mind wandering to star origami. He often found himself shaking his head, trying to concentrate, before wondering if they are relaxing as Raito had said. Before he knew it, he was online researching 'how to make star origami'. He scanned the directions and nodded; they were incredibly easy to follow. He cut a thin strip of printer paper and looked back to the screen for a refresher of the directions.

When he finished, L started at the star, holding it with his forefinger and thumb. "This does not resemble a star…"

With renewed determination, L began to slice strips of paper and huddled them into a large pile. As the pile of strips got smaller, the amount of disfigured stars got larger. "If Raito-kun can do this, so can L," he growled, throwing another failure onto the table. He had lost count of all the stars he made, and all the sheets of paper he had wasted until, two hours later, he let out a whoop of victory. The door opened behind him and L spun in his chair, holding up his white star proudly. "Watari! I have succeeded in making this star!"

He lowered the star when he saw Watari's shaken form. "Watari, what is wrong?"

"Look through the park camera number three."

L scanned the area, wondering what could make Watari look so frightened. Soon he had found what he had seen. Raito was limping through the park, looking quite injured. He saw there was blood staining his jacket.

"Watari! What happened?" L demanded, fear eating his insides like termites to a piece of wood. "Isha wouldn't dare attack during the day… Why is Raito bleeding profusely from his chest?!"

Cold arms clung to his neck, making L jump two feet in the air. "What the matter, L?" a harsh voice whispered in his ear. "What's eating you, _hmm_? Oh, are those supposed to be stars?"

L clutched his fist to keep himself from attacking, "Do you mind? I need to save Raito!"

"But I am Raito Yagami!" L was forced to turn around. In front of him was a counter copy of Raito, from his hair to his mannerisms. Most would say exact but L could see the flaws.

"You are not Raito Yagami, Beyond, and I do not appreciate this one bit. Your hair is not honey colored but dark chocolate, your face is vanilla ice cream, not butterscotch, your lips are not pink cotton candy but just plain white sugar and your eyes are not Raito-kun's melted caramel. Yours are strawberry jam red."

B licked his lips, grinning, "Lawli is becoming such a great player at this game."

L frowned, "I do not know how you got that name, but I told you many times before to stop calling me that. Now if you don't mind, I need to save Raito-kun…"

"He's not injured, nope!" B sang.

"What do you mean? Look at him! He's bleeding and has a twisted ankle!"

B swung on his toes, "I do not know how the twisted ankle came to be but Raito Yagami is not bleeding."

"Then what the hell are those red stains on his chest?"

B pulled out a jar of nearly finished jam, "Strawberry jam!" L's eyes widened and he pulled back his fist, letting it fly onto his old protégé's face. B giggled as he landed onto the floor, letting out a fake gasp of shock, "Lawli! I'm surprised at you! You can't hit your lover like that! I'm Raito Yagami!"

L grabbed at B's black sweater that resembled Raito's and hoisted him up by his collar, "When did you come in contact with him?"

"Today! At the mall!"

"What lies did you feed him?" L growled.

"It was a meaningless errand."

"Don't use stock phrases with me, B."

"I won't tell unless I get to help with your case!" B chirped.

"Why the hell would I…?"

"I can go undercover as a patient of Raito Yagami's and try to gain some information on him. You know that changing appearances is my specialty" L had to admit he was tempted but shook his head. Beyond Birthday was one of the least trusted person he had ever met. Although he never once released information about him and his name alone could sell for millions to the right criminal. "Are you sure, Lawli? Raito Yagami might tell me all about his woes on how much he _misses_ you, _hmm_?"

The pros out weighted the cons and L nodded, "Okay, but I make all the plans. You just act it out. Now what did you say to him?"

B rolled his eyes to the space above L's head, a gesture the detective had grown accustom too, "Somewhere along the lines of: 'I'm dating L and there's nothing you can do about it! Nah, nah, nah, nah…"

B was once again flown across the room.

* * *

A week and a half passed by. L multitasked between working on the case, keeping an eye out for Raito, and coming up with a plan for B. Early that morning, just as L was finishing up the plan, Deputy Yagami's phone rang. He was the only one granted to have their phone on during the day, in case his son should ever call. L told him to turn it on speaker phone.

"Hello?" Soichirro asked.

"_Father? It's me. I've got news on Erochikku Isha-san." _

"Really? That's fantastic, Raito! What is it?"

"_He's scheduled for an appointment for next Friday. I have a prediction that he's going to kill one more victim probably the day before, on Thursday, and then he's going to try and kill me during his appointment."_

"Raito!" Deputy Yagami barked. "I don't want to hear you talking like that!" The other police members whispered excitedly. L hushed them up quickly.

"_It can't be helped, Father. You can't deny that he's after me, with that message drawn on that man's back. Please, just pass the information on. And the whole story. Don't forget to mention about my possible death, that's important."_

Soichirro sighed shakily, "Of course it is, Raito. Your life is the most important thing. Thank you for the information. Stay safe."

"_Thank you. Goodbye Father."_

Deputy Yagami closed his phone. He glanced over at the computer screen, worried etched into every wrinkle on his face, "What now, L?"

L thought back on the emergency plan he had created in the beginning of this case. He didn't want to touch it, or even think about it but if this plan could save Raito, he would use it.

"I have a plan. I will not tell any of you it as of right now. It is not a difficult plan to act out. I will give you instructions next week."

"Next week?" Deputy Yagami shouted, "My son will be dead by next week!"

"Your son will not die, Yagami-san. He is coming on Friday and Raito-san, as well as I, believes that he will strike the day before. That is when we will fulfill this plan."

* * *

B looked over the plan with gay glee, "I knew my Lawli would come up with something good!"

L frowned at him, "Remember, you are an American with average looks, do not stand out. Your name is Billy Bob and you came to Japan to learn the language. You do not speak it fluently and stumble on your speech often. You do however speak English and French. You are there for a physical. Do not forget your cover," he warned.

"Do nowt worly abot mee, Rawri!" B drawled out, practicing his Billy Bob routine. But somehow L knew he was going to screw up something on purpose. As he watched him prance out of the room, spouting terribly butchered Japanese, he called Watari.

"Please get me a lot of origami star paper, Watari. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

* * *

When B arrived back nearly three hours later, L had a container of nearly four hundred stars. Multiple times he had cursed the doctor out because he wasn't getting any less stressful. On the positive note, he was getting quite good at it. "How did it go?" L asked, nearly jumping down his throat, "Did you find out anything? What did you mess up?" Beyond looked smug- a little too smug.

B laughed, immediately heading to the bathroom to take out his blue contacts, "Lawli worries too much. I did fine. Raito Yagami said I was in good health!"

"Did you find anything out that's important to me?"

He immerged from the bathroom, his eyes as red as ever. "Such harsh words, Lawli," he clicked his tongue half giggling. "I did find some information."

"Like...?"

"The fact that he's _dating_ somebody," B cackled, obviously finding this heart breaking news funny.

"No… Raito-kun isn't dating anyone…."

B nodded enthusiastically, "Yup! He said: 'I have someone and I do not like to be unfaithful' right after I kissed him and asked him why he punched me."

"You kissed Raito-kun?!" L hissed, throwing his fist into B's face.

B giggled on the ground, "People just _love_ to punch Beyond…"

"That's because Beyond does stupid things that results in getting punched," he growled.

"Beyond was just doing as Lawli asked him and gathered information about Raito Yagami."

"That's false! Raito-kun is not dating anyone," L retorted, although half of him thought he was just saying that because that's what he wants to hear.

B shrugged, standing up. "That's what Raito Yagami said to me," he waved on his way out. L cursed at him in his mind as he watched his retreating back.

Cake… he needed cake… right here, right now. But… no! He doesn't need cake. He could have strawberries instead, or cherries or…

An apple…

An apple that keeps the doctor away…

An apple that keeps Raito away…

L grabbed the intercom, "Watari! I need cake now!"

* * *

L knocked on the kitchen wall lightly. Watari looked up from his dinner, surprised to see ward out of his computer room. "Is there something you want, Master L?"

He rubbed his leg with his foot. "I'm going out for a bit."

Watari choked on his meatloaf, "You're going out? Now? We've only got two more days, Lawliet!"

L shot him a rare, mischievous smile, "It'll only be for a while." He closed the door gently and slipped on his shoes with a groan. He walked down the busy streets, letting people run into him roughly with their shoulders. He glanced down once in a while at his hand before picking up his head and continued to shuffle along.

He found his way out of the crowded shopping areas and into the residential section. Soon he stood in front of a small house with a 'Yagami' sign. He made his way silently into the house, after making swift work of the lock, and up the stairs and into the only room that faced the outside camera.

Raito's room was exactly how he expected it- neat, organized, and not a single hint of dust. It was simple with a perfectly made bed, a rather large book shelf, a wardrobe, and a desk with an empty jar. L unclenched his hand and carefully placed a small blue star with red hearts and 'I LOVE YOU's. He was proud to say this one was the best one he had made so far. He took once last glance at the empty jar before leaving.

Even if Raito had given up on his dreams, L wasn't going to any time soon.

* * *

Later that same night, Soichirro received a phone call and L told him to turn on speaker. A loud girlish cry filled the room. "Daaaaaad!"

"Sayu?" Deputy Yagami asked, "You know you're not supposed to call me at work."

"B-but… Oh daddy! I did something terrible!" she cried harder, making it harder to understand her words. Her father told her to calm down, then speak slower. "I… ganged up on Raito today… He got mad and yelled at me, then stormed out…"

The color in Deputy Yagami's face paled and L felt his heart skip ten beats, "Sayu… this is very important. Where is your brother right now?"

"I… I don't know!"

And with that, L left.

* * *

With a small grin, L opened the unlocked clinic door. He had left in a hurry, telling Watari to man his station as L and took one of his twenty sports cars and flew down the road. He didn't park in the clinic parking lot, in case Raito's father got the idea to check here. He sighed in relief when he noticed Raito's car waiting in a parking spot.

He slowly headed toward the resting room in the back. He smiled softly at the sight of Raito sleeping on one of the small beds. His peaceful slumber quickly turned into a nightmare as his legs twitched, as if running, and his face was twisted into panic.

L gently touched his arm and Raito screamed. Without thinking, L covered his mouth with his hand, cradling his body in his arms, and whispering, "Shh…" in his ear. Raito responded and stopped his noise. He wondered if he talked to him in his sleep Raito would respond or not. "If I let you go, will you stay silent?" He saw the doctor nod slowly. He lifted his hand just slightly and Raito took the opportunity to scream. L quickly replaced his hand, "I told you to shut it didn't I?" Raito was frozen in fear. He needed to be gentler. He needed to convince him to return to the safety of his parent's home, "I'll talk to you like this. I know that you had run away from your family today. I want to know why."

He felt a small, dazed bite on his palm and L lifted his hand slightly again. "…I was… being… tortured in that house… by my family…" he responded sleepily.

"Why?"

"They didn't… know…. that they were… crossing… taboo lines…"

"Such as?" L pressed

"You… don't have any… obligation to hear… about my… problems..."

"I believe I do."

"I don't think…"

L knew he was going to kill himself if Raito ever woke up but decided to take that risk. He's been waiting too long to do this anyway. He gently pressed his lips to the sleeping man's, not realizing how much he had missed the sweet taste of Raito's mouth, "I believe I do, Raito-kun."

"L…" Raito whispered in his sleep.

"Will you now tell me why, Raito-kun?"

L noticed tears welling up in the corner of Raito's eyes "Leave me alone…?"

"I will not leave you alone, Raito-kun. I need to know why you left your family's protection."

Raito's hands clutched themselves into fists, "It's… all your fault… It's your… fault I'm paranoid… Your fault I'm moody… Your fault people… are treating me like… a china doll… I want my life back…"

"If Raito promises to return to his family's house, I will leave him alone."

"You can't promise that… You have no control over my dreams… over the radio… over what people say…"

"Please, Raito-kun, all I'm asking is for you to return to your parent's house. It's not safe for you…"

"Because of Isha…? I'm half considering… letting the man kill… me to end this torture…"

"Raito-kun doesn't mean that…" L said quietly. "He doesn't mean that…"

"How do you know… if I mean that or not…?" Raito mumbled a bit louder, "You don't know… the pain I'm going through…"

L pressed his lips to his again. Oh how he had missed those lips. Tears poured from Raito's closed eyes, mingling in their kiss giving it a salty taste. Raito had grabbed at L's shoulders and he had his fingers tied in his honey hair. "I believe, Raito-kun, that I know exactly how much pain you're in."

"L…"

"Please, Raito-kun, if you won't do it for your own sake, then do it for mine, please go back to your family. Until Isha is caught, I want you as safe as possible."

Raito nodded slowly, "Yes…" He drifted into a deeper sleep and L absent mindedly played with Raito's soft hair, threading his fingers through it. He smiled softly at him, kissing his lips once more.

* * *

People who are talking in their sleep talk slowly, right? If they don't, they do now!

Meaningless errand: Something I read in Skip Beat. If you haven't read that manga, please do! It's a little boring at first but then it gets really good. "It was a meaningless errand" equals "It wasn't anything serious" equals a stock phrase used when you don't want to talk about something. I just threw that in there because I can!

And Billy Bob is Beyond?! Haha! I'm so glad no one guessed him. The closest I got was 'someone sent by L'

Next chapter is Isha! No seriously, next chapter we meet Isha and we're all gonna die. I'm telling you now.

So review and maybe I'll change the dying part!


	19. Chapter 19

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Thanks for the reviews!

I had my first day of my senior year today. It was the worst first day of school ever. I have no friends in any of my classes and they're all full of obnoxious jerks.

* * *

L knew that letting his most prized member of the team have the day off was a bad idea but he believed that Deputy Yagami would not be able to work efficiently if he did not. His targeted son had just run away from home, after all. Even when Raito had called him back to confirm his safety, his father was still a wreck.

The next day, Deputy Yagami was all spirits again.

"What is the plan, L?" he asked the moment he stepped through the door. "You said you would tell us it today."

L hummed, "I did, didn't I?" Watari, who was present at the police department that day, turned the computer around and the clack of the keyboard was heard. The elder man spun the laptop around again. The L insignia was replaced with an instant message:

'_Please keep what is about to happen a secret among the six of us. I would like to meet the four of you as soon as possible. Please do not speak of our meeting, or having met me, or what we will be doing to anyone who is not in the room now. Is everyone okay with this?'_

The four of them nodded and a new message popped up.

'_I am now in a room in the Imperial Hotel. Please come to the room on the card Watari is about to give you in no more than a half an hour. I'll be waiting' _

The screen faded into black. Watari wordlessly handed out a small white card, with the number 260 written on it. The investigation team memorized the number and left the police building in a thick silence.

* * *

"I am L," he said simply, scratching his right leg with his left foot. He gave them a cold, empty stare almost daring them to question him.

One did.

"You're L?!" Matsuda gasped, "You look at least nineteen!"

"I appreciate the compliment, Matsuda-san, but I am not nineteen." L turned his back to them and waved his hand, beckoning them to follow. He sat himself upon his favorite seat in the hotel room and the rest of the investigation team sat on the couches around him.

"Isn't sitting like that uncomfortable, L?" Soichirro asked. L was half tempted to tell him that's basically the same thing he son had said to him the first time they met but held his tongue.

"I must sit this was, Yagami-san, to increase my reasoning ability by forty percent. Now, down to business. I have constructed this plan the moment I took this case. I did not want to drag it out but I feel now that I must. I will be tomorrow's victim."

L except the chorus of 'What?!'s, and 'Are you crazy?'s that followed.

"Please hear me out," he said calmly. "We have discovered that Isha takes young adults who are in the medical field. Cameras do not work for Isha does not bring them to the warehouse without giving them new clothes. It would be most beneficial if I was to go and you four are my backup."

"He drugs his victims though," Matsuda said. "You won't be coherent enough to remember the plan."

"He drugs by spiking their drinks. If I pretend to drink and get drugged up, he won't know the difference and I will be able to fulfill the mission. Matsuda-san, you are the youngest out of the four of you. I know we originally were to have you at Yagami-sensei's clinic but I need you with me. We need to find someone else to fill in that position. You will accompany me there but will act as if we do not know each other. You will keep an eye on me and once you see me leave with Isha, you must call Yagami-san right away. Do you read?"

Matsuda nodded eagerly, "Roger!"

"Yagami-san, you are to watch the outside cameras and once you receive the call from Matsuda-san, you are to find which car is Isha's. He will most likely be parked near the club and the cameras have a good ratio around the building. Once you spot the car, you are to call Mogi-san and Aizawa-san. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Then Mogi-san and Aizawa-san, you will be outside of the club in an undercover cop car. Once you hear which car is Isha's you are to follow him to the warehouse. Then call for backup. Any suggestions for someone to stay with Yagami-sensei?"

"Yeah, my buddy Yamamoto will do it!" Matsuda said. "He just finished an undercover case with a robbery."

L nodded, telling him to inform him right away. "Remember, my life is resting in all of your hands. One small screw up will result in the pictures you have been staring at for the past sixteen weeks. Please keep that in mind."

* * *

That night, L wore the outfit Watari had picked out for him with much reluctance. The jeans were too dark and too tight around his thighs and the shirt's blue fabric was itchy against his skin and with the top three buttons unfastened, he felt quite exposed. His partner, Matsuda, said he looked great but L had to wonder if he was lying.

Matsuda wore plain blue jeans and a white dress up shirt. L envied him very much.

"I believe the club Isha will be striking tonight," L announced before his team, wearing his clubbing clothes, "is the biggest one closest to Raito-san's clinic. It is called Red Light. I believe you all know your positions. Please do your best tonight. If we fail, it is not just my life that will be on the line." He nodded at Deputy Yagami before jumping in one of his sport cars. Matsuda climbed into his own car, driving in a different direction than L, one that would take him at least twenty minutes longer than L to arrive at the club.

At Red Light, L wasn't in awe at the club despite it being his first time to one. He had seen enough club action a few weeks ago. He immediately made his way to the bar. That is where eye witnesses say they saw the victims last, after all.

"What kind can I get you, sweetie?" the bartender asked her shirt low cut and revealing. L paid no mind to her chest.

"I'll have a Strawberry Daiquiri," he answered. The bartender nodded and left to make his drink with a whistle. L gazed around the club, looking for anyone who matched Isha's profile or Matsuda. To say he wasn't scared would be a lie. It was rare for L to ever be afraid but, now that he thought about it, this was really the first time he put himself out in danger like this. He had other people killed in his place. This was too surreal for his liking. All the things he did for that doctor…

L felt a bit more confident with a bug placed on him. Watari's connections with the FBI had gotten him a nano-bug, one that could fit underneath his fingernail. Isha would have a difficult time spotting that one out. Then, if anything should fall astray from the plan, God forbid, the tracking device would be his saving grace.

While in his musings, L felt a small tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me? Didn't you hear? The bartender gave you your drink nearly two minutes ago." Looking to the side, L's abnormally wide eyes grew larger.

There sat Erochikku Isha. L could spot that face anywhere after staring at it for hours on end for this exact moment. Isha was incredibly traditional looking. He had short black hair, thinning on top. He had dark brown, squinty eyes and a small goatee. He was rather thin and tall for his age of thirty-nine but he was in no way ugly, just rather plain- a perfect look for someone to hide in the shadows.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was distracted and over the loud music; it's quite hard to hear," L said, picking up his Strawberry Daiquiri. He didn't dare drink it. Isha said it was out for two minutes. A drug could have easily dissolved in that time span.

"What makes you so distracted?" Isha asked, leaning closer. L's first instinct was to move ten feet back but he kept his ground, reminding himself repeatedly of his mission.

"Well, you see…" L acted throwing on his regular college student act, "I just totally bombed my last test. My professor said that if I don't manage to get my grades back up, I won't be able to receive my doctorate next year." L noticed how Isha's eyes lit up at the word doctorate.

"A doctor?" Isha repeated, looking most eager.

"I've been dreaming of being a doctor for the longest time. Although, I make the _stupidest_ mistakes quite often," L mentioned offhandedly, feeling like he was rubbing salt in a wound.

He knew he caught the man, hook, line and sinker. He glanced back at the crowd, pretending just to be staring off in a drunken daze but in reality he was frantically searching for Matsuda. He spotted him just a few yards away from him, sipping a beverage calmly and smiling at the girls surrounding him while very cautious watching him. L let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I'm sure you're not that bad," Isha tried to comfort, failing to hide his murderous intentions from his expression. "Here, yet me buy you a drink to calm you down."

L looked at the now empty Strawberry Daiquiri glass as if he just realized he had finished it. He had slowly been dumping it on the floor behind him when Isha wasn't paying attention. He nodded solemnly, mumbling that he needed another hit. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Isha ordered him a new drink. When the Strawberry Daiquiri arrived, Isha didn't arouse L from his musings, instead, he pulled out a small packet from his pocket. He ripped it open and moved his arm over L's drink, making a scene to be reaching over for a napkin. He just barely noticed an oval green-grey pill slip from his hand to his drink. L knew this was his poison. There were three types of date rape drugs, he remembered. The oval green-grey was Rohypnol, the one that made the takers look like they drank one too many shots.

With his careful and watchful eye hidden behind his hair, Isha never knew he was found out. He tapped the detective's shoulder again. "Excuse me, here's your drink."

"Oh… yes, thank you," L sighed woefully, grabbing the alcoholic beverage. He glanced once more at Matsuda. They locked eyes and L held up his drink. Matsuda nodded once before smiling sheepishly at the cute brunette seated aside him. He glanced at Isha from behind his hair to see the man watching his drink closely.

L raised the glass to his lips, careful not to let any inside his mouth. He dropped the glass down his lap and continued to stare dolefully at the carefree dancing people. Isha rarely grew bored of watching him but when he did L seized his chance to lessen his drink. He felt a bit of remorse for the janitor but that thought disappeared quickly when Isha grinned at him.

L decided that thirty minutes was a good enough time span to start developing symptoms. His head started to droop, his eyes felt heavy. L glanced over at Isha and gave him a lopsided smile, "I's feelwing a liwtle tired…" he slurred. "This dwink makes me more drunk than I taught it would…"

"How many have you had?" Isha grinned.

L opened his mouth then closed it as he almost slid off of the bar stool. "… I s'unno…" He tried to stand up to find his muscles weak. "Maybe I should just go..." He stumbled, nearing collapsing on top of a nearby table. He apologized to the people sitting there as he rubbed his head, "I'm sowwy. I cannot see well…"

"Woah there buddy…" Isha laughed, making a grab at L's arm, pulling him away from the table, "Sorry. My friend here had too much to drink. Broke up with his girlfriend, you see." Isha led L away from them, back toward the bar, "Are you okay, buddy? You don't look so well…"

"Huh? Wha…?" L slurred again.

"Let me take you home, you really don't look well…" Isha smiled encouragingly, throwing money down on the counter for L's drink. He took him securely by the arm again and pushed him toward the entrance. On the way out, L looked hazily over at Matsuda's table to see him already on his phone. His eyes were still on him.

L yawned, hiding his smile.

When they left the club, L jumped at the sound of a loud crash of thunder. Isha laughed at him, saying, "There's nothing to be afraid of." He wondered if Raito was afraid of thunder as a big flash lit up the sky, followed by another massive boom.

They walked to the very back of the parking lot and stopped at a rather boring black car; L couldn't even tell what kind it was. Isha opened the door for L, helping the stumbling man in.. Isha climbed in the driver's seat, turning on the engine and practically speeding out of the lot and down the street.

L glimpsed at the car radio, seeing the time of one thirty in the morning. Had an hour and a half past really that quickly?

"Nee…" he whined in a dazed tone, "I never told you where I lived…"

"Yes you did," Isha convinced. "On the way out of the club. You must have had too much to drink if you can't remember that," Isha laughed. His laugh reminded L of B.

* * *

Soichirro cursed loudly, calling back Matsuda on his cell phone.

"Matsuda! The storm caused a blackout! I lost L!"

"There's a blackout here at the bar. I left at the same time as they did and L's gone! I searched all over but I've lost them. And then once the power cut, everybody came running out of the club and the parking lot is full of people. If L's still here, he'll be impossible to find!"

Soichirro cursed again, "I can't trace L's tracking chip either since I need a computer for that. I'm going to call Aizawa and Mogi to inform them." The two police members hung up and Soichirro hit speed dial for Mogi's phone.

"Hello?"

"Mogi. This is Yagami. There's been a blackout."

"I know. We're close to the bar and all the lights just blackened out about three minutes ago."

"Did you…"

"No, we never saw L or Isha leave. We got distracted by a large flash of lightening for a split second. That's when they must have left," Mogi explained. "It's either that or they mingled in with the large crowd. We can't possibly find him in this mob."

"I can't trace L's tracking chip until the power is back on. If we don't have power soon, he will die."

* * *

My sister and I have a running argument about what is better: Coke or Pepsi? In my profile, I have a poll on the question. Please answer so I may rub it into my sister's face when my choice wins.

Please review!


	20. Chapter 20

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Thanks for the reviews! Also thank you for voting in my poll. Of course, Coke won. Seriously, what else did you except?

Warning: There will be gore. Not a lot. Especially not a lot if you saw Zombie Land. Freaking awesome movie but holy crap is there a lot of blood and gore. I saw it twice and it opened two days ago. So if you saw it, you won't flinch but if you didn't and you're not into it… you still may not, it's really not bad.

...Are we seriously on chapter 20??????

* * *

L pretended to have fallen unconscious by the time Isha pulled up behind the warehouse half an hour later. The warehouse had holes in the roof and the door looked as if a single tap would knock it off its hinges. The walls were grey concrete and had a slight red tinge to them. It was in the middle of nowhere.

Isha unbuckled himself from the car, walked around the front, and lifted the unconscious L from his seat. He had his eyes closed on the way in but had no problem memorizing the pathway back to the front entrance. It was just a straight line after all.

L was gently placed down on the ground. He felt ropes being tied around his ankles and wrists as he remembered the crime scene pictures he stared at for hours- all the victims were tied up. Isha hummed a joyful tune as he tightened the knots. L reminded himself that he is supposed to be unconscious and that unconscious people do not wince when their circulation is being cut off.

After he was tied and secure, L heard Isha walk away and the front door open and close with a large boom. He popped open his eyes to find himself completely alone, minus about twenty large cargo boxes and one or two scurrying rats.

Why had Isha left him alone, he wondered. Isha kills when his victims are awake, he remembered, and leaving them alone for a few hours will give them time to arouse from the drug's effects just in time for Isha's playtime.

L mused silently, rubbing his wrists and ankles against the rope finding the binds loosening. With more effort, he was able to create a large enough loop in the rope for him to escape with ease. It would be best, he decided, if he walked around the warehouse for a while to gain an upper hand in case a time comes when he had to run. But what if Isha were to come back during his wandering? No, he thought, Isha would return once the drugs started to wear off and he became more coherent. But if he would appear before the drugs wore off too much, the victim would be aware enough to escape. L bit his bottom lip. He had 'taken' the drug around twelve thirty and the clock showed one thirty when they arrived at the warehouse. One hour since he's taken the drug and if L remembered correctly, and he usually does, Rohypnol takes up to three hours to wear off.

With a shrug, the rope fell limp from his wrists and onto the floor. L reached down to the bindings on his ankles and carefully slipped it off. Isha won't be back for two hours; he's got time to explore.

First object on his list- look for a clock.

* * *

"Have you had any luck, Matsuda?" Aizawa asked. "We've been driving around to every warehouse we can find but we've yet to find him."

"Ugh… no!" Matsuda nearly cried. "They left, they had to! It's been an hour since they left. Isha wouldn't have stayed at the club. Can't I leave and search for warehouses?"

"No, I've got a better idea," Soichirro said over the three way call. "Aizawa, you and Mogi keep searching for warehouses. I know it's hard since you're not used to the area and you don't have a GPS hooked up but just keep looking. He can't be that far away. Matsuda, I want you to go to the police department straight away. Even if they don't have power, they might have a generator. Unlike this crap hotel," he muttered under his breath.

"Okay," Matsuda nodded. "What should I do there?"

"Look for the video feed from the cameras outside the bar. Then try to hack into L's tracking device. He gave us the password for it, do you remember?"

"Yes, 58410128, right?"

"Right. Now I want everyone to keep their phone at hand. Call if anything comes up."

"Right Chief!"

* * *

L quickly gave up searching for a clock and tossed his shoes off, needing to feel relaxation in at least one area. He shoved his hands in his pockets, frustrated. His left hand hit a metal object that lay in his jean pocket and pulled said object out. He nearly slapped himself on the forehead when he saw the metal object was his watch.

As he checked the time, he wondered why Isha didn't change his clothes. With past victims, L had discovered that every victim had a change of clothing, from their originals to an exact copy cat, in case of tracking chips. This was why L's tracking chip was under his nail, for preparation for new clothes. But in his worry, he failed to notice he was never undressed.

L didn't bother to think why, he was grateful for his watch.

After a half an hour of wandering, L found the warehouse to be quite small and quite empty. The twenty six cargo boxes were large and weighted nearly a ton but couldn't do much for hiding him for an extended period of time. He attempted to open one, thinking inside would be a nice hideout or maybe hold a weapon, but the tops were bolted shut.

The rats scurried around his feet as he walked, glancing curiously up at him. He had stepped on one by accidently not long ago. The room was poorly lit by four dim lights and he didn't see nor hear the rat sniffing his feet. L looked down at them with equal curiosity only to have them scamper off in fear. He moved to the front door, finding it locked. He frowned; there were no other doors around and no windows. The only way out would be through the holes on the roof. Unfortunately, the ceiling was at least thirty five feet high.

He checked his watch again- two forty five. What was taking those police men so long, he wondered. He felt under his fingernail to find the incredibly small tracking chip clinging on. Glancing up at the ceiling, wondering if he can actually climb up there, there was a flash of lightening seen through the holes. The lights flickered twice. L's eyes widened and he ran to the front door, desperately pulling on the handle.

The police have no clue where he is. The power must have cut out the minute he walked out of the club with Isha. They don't know where he is, he can't get out, and he's going to die within the hour. "This can't be happening…" he muttered. His hands were still on the door handle. His knees began to shake as he accepted his very possible death.

"This was stupid…" he laughed humorlessly. "This entire operation was utterly ridiculous." L slid down on the floor, lightly banging his forehead on the door. The lights flickered again and the sound of thunder caused by the lightening filled the warehouse.

Lights, lightening, Light… Raito.

L ceased in his head hitting. An image of Raito flashed in his mind. Raito scowling, Raito laughing, Raito smiling, Raito smirking, Raito blushing, Raito kissing him, Raito, Raito...

With new determination, L pushed himself off the floor. He walked back to the middle of the warehouse and slipped the ropes on, loose and easy to get out of. When Isha comes back, L will have someone to fight for; someone to look forward to once this is all over. No use throwing in the towel now.

* * *

At three thirty sharp, the door of the warehouse was flung open. Isha stood in the doorway, knife in hand. L was reminded of some sort of mad scientist with the lightening flashing about in the background.

"Looks like you're awake, my little patient," Isha grinned, walking toward L, "Hmm… you don't look scared like the rest of them. I guess I'll just have to make you scared," Isha cackled, squatting down to get a good look at L's face. "Do you know I'm gonna do to you?"

"Some sort," L responded softly. "I've heard about you on the news. Kidnapping young adults from bars and killing them in warehouses. I knew I was taking a chance going to a bar but I didn't think I would be chosen."

Isha examined his face, "You are quite good looking and you're a doctor in training. A bad doctor in training. That makes you more than qualified."

"So you kill doctors?" L asked.

"I've had a bad experience with them in the past. My mother and father were killed by screw up doctors, and my brother was arrested doing the same thing I'm doing right now. I won't be arrested though; I'm smarter than my dear deceased brother."

"You're awfully chatty toward your victims," L said, trying to gain himself more time but also not to piss the man off.

"I prefer to call them patients, rather than victims," Isha grinned. "I like to talk to my patients before I put them under the operating knife. Just to freak them out. Doctors do that all the time, don't they?" he asked with a sickening twinkle in his dark brown eyes. "They explain to their patients about their surgery and then they drug them up, perform the surgery and then let them go, right? That's what I do, only I move the drugs to before I talk to them, and I guess I never let them go, now do I?"

"So you kill doctors in training. Why not just kill regular doctors who screw up?"

"Because that's what my brother did. And I'm not ending up like my brother. If I target college med students, then fewer students will want to want to go into med school. Then we'll have no doctors!"

"Doctors are quite important to the world," L said cautiously. "Don't you have your own doctor that helped you?"

Isha's twisted smile transformed into a frown, "Yeah, my doctor helped me out once or twice. But he still needs to pay the consequences…"

"Of becoming a doctor and helping you out?" L offered.

"No!" He spat, spit flying onto L's face. "His uncle."

"_My uncle was a doctor. I've never met him before but I've heard great stories about him." _L's keen memory replayed the moment when Raito mentioned this during their dinner.

"Yagami-sensei's uncle was a doctor," Isha continued. "His name was Yukiru Hino. Yagami-sensei's mother's brother-in-law, I believe. One night, thirty nine years ago, he gets a divorce with his wife and causes the man to go into a raging depression. He drank to a level .15 nearly every night until one day he goes in to deliver a baby. But in his drunken mind, saw her labored breathing and red face after having the baby boy and immediately thought she was due for a heart transplant. But, oops! He forgot the anesthesia and the poor woman was awake and aware the entire procedure. Well, half of the procedure because she died half way through it."

"So you're after Hino-sensei's nephew for revenge against your mother?"

"He was the doctor who started the chain hatred after all. Once she died, my father worked himself to a broken leg where a fake doctor fooled around with him, killing him, and that sparked my brother's hatred which got him arrested and left me all alone at the tender age of eleven. Lovely life, don't you think?" he smiled cynically. "Only one of Hino-sensei's relatives practices medicine and that would be Yagami-sensei. Hino-sensei killed one of my family members so I'm going to kill one of his."

Isha began to play with his knife. He shined the surface on his black cotton shirt and raised the blade to the light, examining the shine. "This was a lovely chat, my dear friend. I didn't catch your name did I…?"

"L. My name is L."

With that, he pushed the ropes off of his wrists and kicked the bounds off his feet. They fell loose to the ground as L dashed toward the only exit. Isha roared behind him, "L!" He raced him to the door and was unnaturally quick, beating L at the last second. His blade was up, glistening against the lightening. Isha was laughing in between pants, "L… So you're the World's Greatest Detective, huh? This is your last trick to capture me? By letting me kill you? Ha, works for me." He plunged the knife forward, missing L's chest by centimeters.

The detective bent his back backwards, forming an upside down U, and pushed off the ground with his feet. With his legs flying in the air, he kicked Isha in the face, the chest and hand. The knife spun on the ground. Isha dove for the blade, slashing at L.

With no time to react, he received a long gash on his left arm, tearing through his shirt and skin. L darted in the opposite direction, skidding behind a cargo box. He clutched at his arm, noticing blood quickly soaking through his shirt and leaving splatters on the floor. "That's your hiding spot? A poor one, if you ask me." L couldn't hear his footsteps- he was guarding the exit. He hastily yanked his watch from his pocket.

Three fifty-seven.

Where are these cops?

* * *

"Chief! Chief! The power's back on!" Matsuda shrieked in surprise as the dark room he was in suddenly lit up. "Do you have power as well?"

"Yes, I do. Thank Heavens too. I found L's tracking chip. Aizawa, Mogi. Are you listening?"

"Yes, Chief. This is Mogi. We're currently five minutes away from your son's clinic. Where is L?"

"He's on Tekesuta Street about thirty minutes away," He heard Mogi tell Aizawa to 'step on it', "It's a small street. The warehouse shouldn't be that hard to find. It's near Kousen Drive."

"We're going as fast as we can, Chief,"

"Matsuda," Deputy Yagami said, "Round up as much backup as you can and follow them. Drive as fast as possible."

"Got it Chief!"

* * *

L pressed his back against the brown cargo box, trying to quiet his breathing. His head was feeling light from the loss of blood but he struggled to listen. He still couldn't hear any footsteps. He glanced at his watch again- a little past four o' five. He needed to buy more time, he repeated in his head.

"You know, L," Isha yelled from across the warehouse. "I used to think you were respectable. Now I see you're nothing but a coward afraid of a little trip to the doctor's."

That's right… L was afraid of going to the doctor's. His first trip was a nightmare and he vowed to never step foot inside a doctor's office again. That was until he met Raito. He didn't need to be scared anymore, he was healthy. He wasn't the same dying child that he was years ago. He had his health now.

He heard Isha's footsteps and froze. He needed a weapon, he thought, searching for any useful objects on the ground. There was a small squeak from his right. L found a large dirty grey rat staring at him curiously with big black eyes.

Isha stopped a few feet short of the cargo, blade up. "Come on out, L!" he sang.

L jumped from his hiding spot and tossed the squealing rat at him. The detective quickly made a dash for the exit. The rodent landed on his face, scratching his cheeks and nose as it waved its legs around. Isha yelled, throwing his arms to his face. The forgotten blade in his hand carved into his right eye and he screamed again. The rat jumped down from his face, hissed at him and scampered off.

Just as L made it to the exit, Isha bounded after him, blood oozing down his face. L tugged on the door furiously with no prevail. The door finally creaked open but a fist grabbed the back of his blue dress shirt. L struggled in his grasp but damn did this man have a tight grip. Isha cackled, reaching into his back pocket, pulling out three small white pills.

"This," Isha explained, showing L the pills, "is GHB. I don't use this drug often but I'll make you a small exception. The effects start in just fifteen minutes and can last for three to four hours. My favorite part, however, is the fact that one small little tablet can hold a lot of power. I wonder if that thin body of yours can handle three at once." He pried L's mouth open. The detective tried to bite down but Isha crushed his bare foot in response. Tears leaked from his eyes as he felt and heard his foot breaking. Long, dirty fingers were shoved in to his mouth, literally pushing the pills down.

L felt the drugs slid down his throat and Isha tossed him to the ground. He immediately took his own finger to his mouth but the murderer quickly captured his hand. "No, no," he chastised with a curt kick, "no throwing up."

Thanks to the high dose of GHB, L could already feel the effects taking control of his body. He felt exactly how he acted at the bar- drowsy, dizzy, and sick. His eyes were focusing and unfocusing while his body was sweating and shaking with tremors. He couldn't tell where Isha was; at one point he was right next to him, at another Isha was on the opposite side of the room. The safe bet was to escape no matter the distance. He got to his knees, his arms barely able to hold his weight, and pushed up to one foot. The broken bones snapped again, piercing through the skin. L hopped to the other foot, barely conscious to the cruel laughter behind him, and lifted himself up. His head spun, his body ached, and suddenly Isha was in his face. His legs gave in and he crumpled to the ground.

Isha easily lifted his woozy body and dropped him rudely in the middle of the warehouse. "I don't need you awake for this surgery. You're going to die of drug overdose soon anyway." He ripped away his blue shirt.

Using the last of his strength, L tried to crawl away. Isha plunged the knife into his left shoulder and twisted the blade. He screamed, the world going black before returning. No, he pleaded, stay black. Isha pulled the knife out at a forty five degree angle. L could barely feel it; the drugs were blurring the boundaries of reality and fantasy. He knew his body ached and that's all he knew.

"Do me a favor and stay still," Isha cursed, giving him another blunt kick to the abdomen. He crouched above the man and placed the sharp tip of the blade on his back. L hissed at the cool metal touched his hot skin. The knife rose into the air and just as it sliced his back his vision went black as he escaped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Take the left here," Mogi instructed pointing at the turn up ahead. "Do you see it?"

Aizawa nodded and jumped the curb, skidding to a halt in the empty parking lot of the warehouse. They scrambled out of the car, guns at hand. The grey door was partially open and with a little push they were in.

"Police!" Aizawa screamed. "This is the Police! Come up with your hands up!"

"Where are they?" Mogi whispered, gun pointed up. There was a cackle in response. "Where are you?" he shouted across the room.

A medium sized thirty odd year old man with blood dripping from his eye stepped out from behind a cargo box. His hands were up, "You got me, you got me. Let's just relax now, hmm?"

Aizawa unlocked the safety of his gun, "Where is he? Where is your victim?"

Isha shrugged, "He got away."

"That's a lie; his tracking chip says he's here."

"Should have come up with a better excuse…" he muttered. "Say, do you two guys need a check up? Visiting the doctor is a healthy activity in your life. I could give you a free exam!"

"Where is he?"

"Not even a little shot?"

"Where is he?!"

Isha pointed his thumb behind him. Mogi formed a large arch around the killer, his gun pointed at his chest. He watched the police man with curiosity.

Mogi walked around a cargo box and his face paled, "Oh God…"

Aizawa took a few steps away from the door, "What is it Mogi? Did you find him?" He saw a blur speed toward him. Isha slammed his shoulder into his as he ran past. "Get back here! You're under arrest, Isha!"

Isha was a quick man, always five feet in front of him. "Stop!" He kept running, laughing joyfully. He was too fast.

Several loud sirens stunned Isha into tripping over a bush. Headlights soon followed, landing on the man tangled in the bushes. His cocky attitude quickly dissolved. Aizawa sprinted to him, tackling him to the ground. His one hand had his arm in a painful twist and the other shoved his face into the wet grass.

"You're under arrest, Erochikku Isha for murder of the first degree," he said, pulling out his handcuffs.

"You've got him, Aizawa!" Matsuda cheered, running over. "Guys! Take him downtown! Oh, I've always wanted to say that!" The two men behind him seized the squirming Isha.

"You don't understand!" he wailed. "I didn't complete my mission! My revenge on Yukiru Hino was never accomplished! Let me go and I promise I'll give you a free doctor's appointment!" The men dragged him off.

"What happened?" Matsuda asked. "Where's L?" His partner cursed. The two dashed back inside the warehouse.

"Mogi, where's L?" Aizawa huffed. Mogi pointed to the detective spread out on the ground.

L's body color was an unnatural white. His shoulder bared a wound poorly covered with his shirt and his side was forming a large and ugly bruise. His right foot had a compound fracture, several small bones sticking out of the flesh, and his left arm had a long bloody incision.

The most predominant injury was the large kanji carved onto his bare backside. "Moon?" Matsuda asked, reading the kanji. "Why moon?"

"No," Aizawa whispered, "Raito. Yagami-sensei uses the kanji for moon for his first name."

Mogi yanked out his cell phone, "Chief, this is Mogi. Isha is captured and on the way to the police department." There was a large sigh of relief on the opposite side of the phone, "We also found L and he's badly hurt. He's still alive but we need to get him checked out right away."

"_Raito should be open right now," _Soichirro said. Mogi could hear him leaving his desk. _"He's been there since nearly four anyway. He's safe now and I'm glad. Thank you."_

Deputy Yagami said he would meet them at his son's clinic in an half an hour. Matsuda took L in the cop car with him, settling him in the backseat. Mogi and Aizawa followed as they sped twenty miles over the speed limit.

* * *

One of my top five favorite parts of this story: L throwing the rat. … Was that good? It seemed kinda rushed, especially at the end.

So this means of course that the story is almost over. Just two more chapters. Oh gosh that's so sad. I can't believe it. My poor baby!


	21. Chapter 21

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warning: Sap! Lots and lots of nice fluffy sap that everyone's been waiting for.

* * *

Raito folded the green strip of paper in his hand with experienced skill. His hands were shaking with anxiety but continued to fold the paper. He would glanced up every so once in a while and then continue with a heavy sigh.

There was a knock at the door. Raito immediately looked to the bed and frowned when he failed to see any movement. The door opened.

"Raito?" his father asked.

"Yes?" He returned to his folding.

"Are you still making those stars? You must have made a million of them by now."

"Five hundred and thirty five, Father. They help me relax."

Soichirro entered the room and looked to the bed, "So this is the infamous Hideki?"

"L, Father. You and I know perfectly well that is he L. He told me to call him that."

Soichirro stared at the sleeping man's face, "…It's been a week now, hasn't it? How he is doing?"

Raito sighed, pinching the sides of the paper pentagon, "His shoulder is healing up nicely. When he wakes up, he'll have some difficulty moving it. His foot is broken in a few places but I was able to fix the compound fracture and they should be healed within the next five weeks. His arm is healing and the stitches should be coming out within the next few days. His stomach's bruises are fading away finally," He examined his completed origami star and nodded, dropping it into the jar with the other five hundred and thirty five. "And, of course, there is also the coma he's fallen into."

"What about his back?" Raito flinched.

"_What happened to him?!" Raito demanded after coming out of shock. "What happened to L?"_

"_You know L, Yagami-sensei?" Aizawa asked._

"_Goddamnit! Just tell me what happened to him!" Raito roared, searching his body for wounds. There was a gash on his arm, a broken foot, a bruising stomach… what else?_

"_He posed as Isha's final victim," Mogi answered. "There was a power outage and we lost him until just two hours ago. We found him like this."_

"_Oh God, L…" Raito moaned. "Flip him on his stomach."_

"_You really don't want to…"_

"_I need to check his entire body, Aizawa-san," he growled. "Flip him,"_

_Mogi obeyed. _

_His mouth dropped. His body shook. He felt cold. "… Raito…" he read. He reached for the blanket and gently padded the wound. _

Raito shook his head from the flashback, "Healing."

Soichirro turned his attention from L to his son, "Do you love him?"

"What makes you think that?" he asked selecting a pink strip of paper decorated with hearts.

"You nearly died when we brought him in last week, you haven't left his side for more than a second since then, you're folding those origami stars again- a sign of anxiety-, when you're not playing with those stars you're petting his hair… I talked to Misa-san and Kiyomi-san."

"I bet they told you all about him…" Raito muttered as he folded.

"I find it hard to believe this is the same man that has been giving us orders for the past few months. Your nurses told me the most interesting stories." There was a pause. "Did he really force Viagra down your throat?"

Raito smiled, "That's only because I did the same thing to him first. I believe his words were: 'Never give a genius a reason for revenge and an extra pill of Viagra.'" The two laughed. Soon the room was quiet again. "Do you think…" he began, "he'll wake up soon?"

Soichirro shrugged, "You're the doctor."

Raito stared at L and the need to run his fingers through his hair grew too strong, "Comas usually last about two weeks to five but…" he trailed off.

"I know," his father answered.

* * *

He finished up yet another star as Misa knocked on the door, "Raito-sensei. Kiyomi-chan and I are leaving. Should I turn on the radio again?"

"Yes, thank you. Go home safe," he smiled tiredly at her.

"See you tomorrow, Raito-sensei," she left, leaving the lights on and the radio on.

As predicted, their (as Raito dubbed it) song played over the intercom.

_Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up, I won't let you down. And I won't leave you falling, if the moment ever comes… _

Raito cleaned around the stitches on L's arm, checked his stomach and foot and replaced the bandages on his shoulder. He removed the gaze from his back, revealing the angry red scars. Raito tabbed antiseptic along his name and replaced the gaze. He slowly turned L to his stomach, careful of his foot.

He climbed into the cot set up directly next to the occupied bed. He reached forward and intertwined their fingers together.

Just like he did every night.

* * *

"_It's plain to see, it's trying to speak. Cherished dreams forever asleep. Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly…" _he awoke and scrambled out of bed.

Raito's face fell when he saw the steady breathing of L's chest, still deeply asleep. He stretched, checking L one last time before going into the bathroom to change. While putting on his black sweater, he listened closely for any changes in the beeps that measured L's heart beat.

He ate his miso soup and white rice breakfast at the table in L's room, watching.

Kiyomi arrived at work first, "You're up, Raito-sensei?" she asked in greeting, "It's only six thirty in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep well."

She frowned, "All this worrying isn't good for you. Why don't you allow some other patients to schedule an appointment? You've been declining any proposals all week. Think of all the money you're losing."

"I can't leave him. What if he wakes up when I'm not here? Or his body goes into some sort of shock? I need to be here to support him."

"We're soon going to run out of money for you to support him. Just think how many appointments have been canceled since we met L…"

"We're still calling him Ryuuga Hideki.

"That's not the point! We're losing money! The past ten out of sixteen Tuesdays were free except for one man. For one entire week nobody scheduled because he blackmailed them all to cancel. There was that one day you decided not to come into work. And for the past week you've declined everybody to take care of him. That's too many sick days; we're going to lose business with customers."

"I took on seven more patients every day for a month, Kiyomi-chan," Raito answered calmly, his hands fidgeting for a star, "Minus that one day I took off, and I had one hundred and eighty nine more patients than normal. That's more than enough to support my time of watching over Ryuuga."

Kiyomi huffed out of the room.

* * *

An hour later Misa popped her head in, "Good morning, Raito-sensei! I came early today! Is Ryuuga-kun better?"

"No," Raito answered, folding a red and blue striped paper.

"Can I… come in?" Raito nodded. Misa smiled and sat down on the chair across from Raito's. "I was talking to Kiyomi-chan before I came in and…"

"She told you about how she thinks I'm wasting my time watching over him."

"I don't agree with her!" Raito stopped folding and glanced up. "I think you should continue to stay with him, Raito-sensei! You're obviously really attached to him and it would be devastating to you if you're not here when he wakes up. Not to mention, he risked his life for you," Misa smiled, "I know if I was in your position, I would be by his side twenty four seven too."

"Kiyomi doesn't understand what it's like to be in love, does she?"

"No, I don't think she does."

* * *

He dropped a green star in the jar, "May he awaken soon," he whispered. Star number six hundred. He selected a yellow strip of paper with apples and cherries to be number six hundred and one. He began to start to knot as he heard a soft pounding on the door, "Come in."

"Good afternoon, Yagami-sensei."

Raito looked up surprised, "Watari-san?"

The elder man smiled gently, "Just Watari, please, Yagami-sensei." He placed his hat on the counter.

"Then call me Raito, please."

Watari nodded, "How is he doing, Raito-sensei? I'm afraid I didn't receive any news on Master L so I'm completely in the dark." He spotted the detective sleeping on the bed, his arm hooked up to an IV bag, his chest covered in connecters to heart monitors and an oxygen tube under his nose. "Oh dear…"

"He's in a coma, Watari," Raito stood up to stand next to the old man, "Overdose of GHB. That drug can very easily be taken in large amounts without realization. Isha knew that and gave him seven thousand milligrams of it. L's very lucky he fell into a coma."

"What are his other injuries?"

"He had a gash on his arm that required stitches, his one foot in broken in multiple places, he had bruises all over his stomach that are fading away now, he has a injured shoulder and…" He carefully turned L to his side and removed his gazes.

"My goodness!" Watari breathed. "That's your name."

Raito nodded, grabbing new bandages, "Nobody knows the real story of what happened to him. He was found unconscious and Isha was laughing hysterically until the moment he was caught."

"Does he still have the drug in him?"

"Most of it. There's really nothing I can do except wait for it to dissolve by itself."

Watari spotted something out of the corner of his eye, "That's quite an impressive jar of stars you've got there."

"Ah, thank you."

"Is it for your anxiety over L?" Raito nodded, "L does that too, getting rid of his anxiety I mean, and not using stars. He did for a little while, though. He saw you making them and decided to try them out. But mostly he'll eat cake, work himself to exhaustion, and bite his thumb," Watari laughed, "I'm trying to break him out of those habits."

"Did he really stop eating sweets?"

"Yes."

"He didn't want to see me again."

"No, he watched you through video feed every second of the day," Watari smiled, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, "When you didn't respond to that kiss that day, L realized that he was only being a hinder in your life. He ate healthy so you never had to be troubled by him again. Although, at the moment, it seems that troubling you is the only thing he's doing."

"He's not troubling me at all!" Raito insisted, "The only trouble he's giving me is wondering when he's going to wake up and if he'll be okay."

"So in retrospect, when he visited you, you wanted him to eat healthy and stay away from you but the second he does so, you want him to gorge down cake and visit you every Tuesday?"

"In retrospect, yes."

Watari chuckled and Raito sat down on his cot, "Watari, sir, do you mind if I ask you where you were this past week?" Watari stared at him, making Raito feel quite uncomfortable, "I mean, you and L are obviously very close to each other and L had mentioned that he is an orphan… so… I mean…"

Watari shook his head, "I understand, my dear boy. You see, L is a smart man. He didn't want any competition for his title as World's Greatest Detective so he created lesser roles."

"Like the second and third ranked detectives…?" Raito interrupted, tapping his finger on his cheek, "Eraldo Coil and Deneuve?"

"They are both the man you see sleeping right there," he said with a hand gesture toward L, "And the world might get suspicious if the top three detectives were to suddenly drop of the face of the earth. L told me to take over as Coil and Deneuve for a while if anything were to happen to him. He had a feeling that something would go wrong, after all."

"But why did you wait a week?"

"Your father was instructed to call me if they found L in critical condition. And if that were to happen, L informed me that I when I receive this call, I must take over Coil and Deneuve then, at the end of the first week, visit him."

"But why a week?"

Watari smiled, his wrinkles crinkling, "My dear boy, I've known L for many years and sometimes I still wonder what goes on in that mind of his."

* * *

Watari had left later on that day after telling Raito many humorous stories about his favorite patient. He never said anything too revealing nor vague. On the way out the door, he promised he would stop by again the following week.

Raito sincerely hoped L would be awake by then.

He reached for another strip of paper. He admired simple white background nearly hidden by all the red and pink hearts and the many sayings of 'Be Mine'. He sang under his breath as he created his star, _"It's plain to see it's trying to speak, cherished dreams forever asleep. Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything, but I won't give you up, I won't let you down, and I won't leave you falling, if the moment ever comes."_ The star was finished and Raito beamed as he dropped it in his jar, "May he awaken soon."

"Knock, knock, Raito!"

He jumped, nearly knocking over his jar, and cursed loudly, "Goddamn you, Sayu!"

His younger sister grinned, "I'm just trying to bring some energy into this place. Poor Ryuuga-kun is still sleeping and that makes Raito very depressed. You gotta be positive!"

"Sometimes it's just hard to do that, Sayu."

"And that's why I brought flowers!" She pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind her back. "Red and white roses! Your favorite, right?" Raito nodded as Sayu filled up a vase in the sink, "You also mentioned that Ryuuga-kun likes roses as well. Maybe he'll wake up to the smell?" She laughed, placing the vase next to L's bed, fluffing up the roses.

"Thank you, Sayu."

"It's not problem. Also, here," She threw a small plastic bag at him. Raito caught it and looked inside, "You said you needed more origami paper so here you are!"

"Violins… apples… roses… cell phones… hearts… snowmen… Hello Kitty…?"

"I figured you needed happier ones than the plain rain and rain cloud ones."

"I have heart strips."

"And I bought you more of those too. See? Those are cuter than the ones you had."

"Hey, I know you're trying to make this place a little brighter but are pink strips with bunnies and chicks really that necessary?"

Sayu shrugged, "Hey, it was either those or ballerinas. I was also going to buy you Mickey Mouse but they were sold out." Raito thanked her and choose a green strip with multicolored hearts. Sayu planted herself on the cot. She nudged her brother with her elbow, "He's kinda cute -in a messy kind of way." There was a nod in response. "So… do you love him?"

"Goddamnit Sayu! You ask that same question everyday!"

"And you always avoid it! I think you have to confess your love to him."

"He's in a coma."

"No, no, just listen! There have been miracle stories about comas, you know. I think Ryuuga-kun could become that next miracle story. You two had a bet, right, whether or not he could make you fall in love with you or not. He had left, thinking he had lost and then ended up in a coma before you could tell him that he had actually won. So maybe he doesn't want to leave the coma because he doesn't feel the need to live because you don't love him."

"So you think if I were to tell Ryuuga my true feelings, he'll wake up?"

"Exactly! Genius isn't it? You're not the only smart one in this family, Raito!" Sayu laughed joyfully, "Then I can write a story on the miracle coma story and ace my journalism class! I'll be a writer soon enough!"

"Sayu… get out."

* * *

A week later, Watari had fulfilled his promise. "Good morning, Raito-sensei!" He greeted, happily.

Raito ripped off a piece of the gaze strip with his teeth, "Good morning, Watari,"

"How has L fared since last week?" He watched as the young doctor reapply the gaze to L's back.

"He's doing much better, besides the fact that he's still in this coma. The stitches in his arm are out and there has been no infection so far. The stab wound has scabbed over and the bruises are completely gone."

"And his back and foot?"

"Healing," Raito carefully turned L onto his back.

"Shouldn't his back be healed up by now? The wounds did not look that deep. The wound in his shoulder was worse."

"The wounds aren't that deep but they refuse to heal. They bleed at random times and I'm at a loss of what to do with them. I'm running out of gaze."

"Did you try to have him lay on his stomach?"

"Yes, didn't work."

"Infection?"

"No, I had antiseptic everyday and there are no signs of infection."

"Stubbornness?"

"How does that come into play?"

"I'm sorry, Raito-sensei, I have very basic medical knowledge. I was merely trying to offer some plausible reasons."

Raito was not too fond of the dejected look Watari wore as he gazed at L. He wondered how close these two really were, he looked truly upset. Before he could try to comfort the old man, his attention was driven elsewhere.

"Look at that jar of yours, Raito-sensei!" Watari exclaimed, "Do you mind if I hold it?" Raito shook his head, "Look at all these stars. This is quite impressive, Raito-sensei. How many do you have in here?"

"Nine hundred and fifty."

"Just fifty more then, right? L told me about these when he suddenly decided he was going to try to make some. He said something among the lines of if one were to make a thousand with a wish on each one the wish will come true."

"Yeah that's the one."

"Am I allowed to ask what it is you wished for? Or is that taboo?"

"You mean like birthday candle wishes? I'm not sure but I don't want to take the chance."

"When do you plan on finishing them?"

"Tonight."

* * *

Raito enjoyed Watari's company. He had really never gotten to know the elder man as L took up his entire time when he had the chance to talk with him. The man had the most interesting stories and ideas. He explained his time in the FBI and how painful it is to take care of L. He even told Raito of some inventions he created, most of the being ninety-four percent of the technology that the World's Greatest Detective uses.

Raito shared stories of his own but found them lacking in comparison to Watari's. He instead listened and asked questions.

When Watari had stood up, claiming it was time for him to go, Raito asked him to tell him one last story but the elder man had ruffled his hair and stated that he really must be going. That was when the doctor realized it was nearly ten at night.

For the past two hours since he had been left alone, Raito continued with his stars. He wanted to finish one thousand by the end of the mark of L's two week in a coma. He worked vigorously and didn't realize that time had passed by so quickly.

"May he awaken soon." Drop.

"May he awaken soon." Drop.

"May be awaken soon." Drop.

With fifteen minutes to midnight, Raito took a break to get dressed and brush his teeth. As he cleaned his teeth, he wondered what his family really thought of him living at his clinic until L awoke. Isha was sitting in Death Row as he flossed. But did they believe the same ideas as Kiyomi or Misa?

Raito turned on the radio on the way back to L's room. _"Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up, I won't let you down and I won't leave you falling, if the moment ever comes." _

Next to his cot laid the nearly completed jar and a note used to keep track of the number of stars. The number written was nine hundred and ninety eight. Raito choose carefully for his last two.

Number nine hundred and ninety nine was a blue sky and white cloud background with pink hearts with 'I LOVE YOU' written across them and pink heart shaped locks with a key attached. Floating around the hearts was the phrase 'Love is' and small Chinese calligraphy.

"_It's plain to see, it's trying to speak. Cherished dreams forever asleep." _

"May he awaken soon," he whispered, dropping it among the others.

Raito selected his number one thousandth star- a white background that reminded him of L's baggy sweater with red hearts and blue polka dots. Raito's favorite part was the larger hearts that shouted 'I LOVE YOU' and 'FOR YOU'. He nodded and started to fold the paper.

"_Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up, I won't let you down, and I won't leave you falling. If the moment ever comes." _

Raito smiled at the finished star, believing it to be his best one yet. He dropped it into the jar.

"I love you"

The heart monitor sped up.

* * *

"_There's a part of me you'll never know. The only thing I'll never show."_

L frowned in his mind- this song again? He was in Hell, wasn't he? Only Hell would play this song. Speaking of Hell, wouldn't he have to be dead then? His fuzzy mind struggled to remember. There was the night club, the drink, the car, the warehouse, the rats, the cargo boxes, Isha.

What happened to Isha? The memory of Isha forcing the drug down his mouth, of laughing as he pitifully crawled away to escape like a worm from a bird and, of course, the knife cutting into his shoulder.

He had to be dead. That was why he felt so warm, so safe and so very numb. He was dead. And most likely in Hell.

"_Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up, I won't let you down, and I won't leave you falling. If the moment ever comes." _

Stupid song.

He heard a faint "May he awaken soon". He knew that voice. He imagined that voice in his head too many times for him to count.

"_Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up, I won't let you down, and I won't leave you falling. If the moment ever comes." _

A minute later he heard the voice whisper "I love you".

L's heart began to race and his body started to tingle. All previous numbness faded as he twitched his fingers. He heard a gasp. He struggled to move again, to force more noise from that lovely voice.

Raito…

"…Rai…"

He heard his name being called. "L! L!" His own voice sounded so hoarse compared to the sweet melody of his companion's. He felt a warm hand grasp his own tightly. "Wake up!"

Wake up…? He wondered. He tried to move his eyes but the lids felt so heavy. He groaned.

"L, stay with me!"

Try again, he thought, pushing himself to open his eyes. The darkness soon evaporated and a gray color appeared. He slowly moved his black eyes around, realizing he was in a dark room. His eyes landed on the number one person in his thoughts. He smiled softly, "Raito…"

There was suddenly a large weight on his chest. He struggled to move his arm but found a needle taped to his wrist. Raito moved back. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Tired…" He felt comforted by the hand in his hair. "How… long?"

"Two weeks. You know, L, this is almost like déjà vu, don't you agree?" L purred in response. "You fell asleep in my office and I couldn't get you off of me, remember?" He nodded, noticing the choked sound Raito made when he talked.

He opened his mouth but Raito hushed him up, "Shh… Take it easy. You just awoke from a coma, after all." The fingers in his hair began to gently scratch his scalp. "Go to sleep. I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

* * *

Raito woke up the next morning rather cold. He tried to remember what he had done leading up to his slumber. L had woken up, he had told him to go back to sleep, he watched L sleep for a few hours before falling asleep on the detective's stomach…

There was a small cluttering sound and Raito was startled out of his position. On the floor, he saw L attempting to make a run for it.

"L!" he yelled. "Get back here!"

L force and slowly turned around, "Good morning, Yagami-sensei. I was…"

"'Yagami-sensei'? What the _hell_?"

"I was just about to leave, Yagami-sensei. I apologize for stepping over the boundaries of the bet, and I'll just be leaving now…"

Before he could take another step, Raito threw himself over the bed and collapsed on the floor at his feet. L watched him closely, blinking. The doctor scrambled to his feet, red faced. He glanced at the floor but noticed L's hand.

"L! Look at what you did!" He carefully took L's hand in his, moving him closer to the IV bag, "You dolt! You forgot to take out the needle! Doesn't that hurt?"

"It does seem a bit out of place…"

Raito sighed, "I'm going to have to put it in all over again."

"There is no need for that, Yagami-sensei," L took back his hand and ripped the needle out, "I was just about to leave."

"You can't!" Raito grabbed his hand.

"I can," L snatched his hand away.

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"I said can't, goddamnit! I'm your fucking doctor! You better fucking listen to me!" L blinked at him. "I'm trying to say… you just woke up from a coma. You're a little off and you're not completely healed."

"I would think so since I nearly killed myself trying to walk."

"You're right foot is broken. Notice the cast?"

L seemed surprised to see it, "I wondered why my foot was so heavy."

"See? You're not in your right state of mind yet. You forgot the IV needle, didn't notice the huge cast on your foot…"

"I really need…"

"No you don't," Raito ordered, shoving the man back onto the bed, "You're not leaving until you're better. Just stay here, okay?"

L complied with a pout. He sulked as Raito reentered a new needle into his vein. He noticed music playing,

"_There's a part of me, you'll never know. The only thing I'll never show." _

"You know…" L started, "I really hate this song."

"Oh, this song? It's been playing nonstop for a long time now. Every time this song came on I thought of y-"

"Thought of what?"

"Nothing"

"_It's clear to see, it's trying to speak. Cherished dreams forever asleep." _

An awkward silence between them filled the room, only broken by the melody over the intercom. _"Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly. Hopelessly, I'll give you everything. But I won't give you up…"_

"What happened to Isha?"

Raito frowned at L's detached tone, "He's waiting in Death Row. Watari says he won't give them the go ahead until you're ready. After you had passed out, the police showed up, arrested Isha and brought you to me."

"What are my injuries?"

"Drug overdosed coma, bruising in the stomach, broken right foot, large gash on your left arm, a shoulder wound and cuts on your back."

Thinking back, L could more or less remember each wound, "I see."

Raito stood up, "I need to change your bandages now." He walked to the counter and grabbed one of the many gaze rolls on the counter.

"That's a lot of gaze."

"Your back bleeds often," Raito answered, examining his arm. He checked his foot next, "You're lucky you didn't harm your foot again. Now flip on your stomach before I make you."

L did as he was told and shivered as cold air hit his back. Raito poked at his shoulder and L hissed, "Sensitive nerves... common…" He made a mental note. He untied the gaze from his back and frowned, "Still bleeding." Raito covered his name with more gaze. He then told L to flip back over.

They looked at each other, as if waiting for the other to speak first. Oh God, Raito thought, it's going to be like this all day. Maybe it was a bad idea to give Kiyomi and Misa the day off.

"I'm going to go change, don't move," Raito ordered on the way out of the door. He slammed it shut and rested his back against the wood. He took in a deep breath and continued into the bathroom. He stopped in front of the mirror, leaning close to get a better look at himself. He grimaced- what a mess!

"_I know all about your little _shindig_ with my _lover_."_

"_Eh?!"_

"_Your sweet little L never told you hmm? How he loves ME and ONLY ME, _hmm_? Well, I'm telling you." _

Raito shook the thought from his head. Was that the reason L was so eager to leave him? Because he desperately wanted to see his lover? No… L said something…

"_I was just about to leave, Yagami-sensei. I apologize for stepping over the boundaries of the bet…" _

Raito smacked his head against the glass. "Of course!" he whispered. "The bet, the bet, the bet!" It all comes down to that goddamn bet! He was about to lose that man for the second time and it was all thanks to the bet.

Goddamn his competitiveness…

* * *

L watched as the door slammed shut. He sighed and pulled his left leg close to his body. He had overstepped the rules of the bet, he had disobeyed. "If I knew this would have happen, I would have had to eat all those apples…" A bright blub flashed above his head and L wanted to scream. "I ate all those hideous apples for nothing! They are so disgusting! I would have been eating CAKE if I knew I would land back here again!" L desperately needed a mirror to hit his head on. "All those wasted calories…"

He felt out of place. He promised he would never step foot in this office again and L's going to keep his promise. He'll show him… So, despite Raito's order to stay put, L swung heavy cast to the right. He hissed as his foot came in contact with a cot.

L blinked at the small bed and the close proximity to his own bed. Looking to the sink, there was a large amount of dirty food dishes and a mini fridge. Across from the sink laid a basket full of clean clothes. L saw Raito's every day outfit, sweaters and khaki pants, and his work outfit, black slacks, a white button down and a tie.

He looked at the side table hoping to see a clock but instead he found…

"A jar of stars?" L picked the container up, examining every little star inside. There were a lot of pinks, reds, and blues, he noticed, also many with hearts and 'I love you'. "There sure is a lot." He spotted a little slip of paper that lay next to where the jar had been sitting. On the paper was a list of numbers, the final number in a circle.

"A thousand…" he whispered, "He made a thousand."

Raito's smirking face the night of their date popped in his head. _"You know, L, they say that if you make one thousand, and make a wish for every star, they'll come true." _

"_May he awaken soon"_

"_I love you"_

"I won…"

* * *

"Don't play with those!" Raito yelled upon entering the room. He snatched the jar from L's hands and quickly twisted the lid back on. "If you open the jar after the thousandth one, the wishes won't come true!"

"But they did come true, Raito-kun." L answered plainly.

"What do you mean…?"

There was a soft pressure on his lips. So quick, so light, Raito could have imagined it if it weren't for L's face centimeters from his own. "I'm awake, aren't I?"

L leaned in again, a kiss, another, and another. His kisses weren't sweet as they used to be. He replaced his cake with apples, he tastes tangy.

Raito began to shake. "N-no… no. Stop!" He pushed the detective back. L watched him closely. "You… you don't love me. You gave up on me, you eat three apples a day… you have a boyfriend…"

L knocked the hands off of his chest, "Boyfriend?"

"I met him at the mall a few weeks ago. He told me that he knew about us…"

"_Somewhere along the lines of: 'I'm dating L and there's nothing you can do about it! Nah, nah, nah, nah…."_

"He's nothing. A meaningless errand. I am not dating anyone."

"_The fact that he's dating someone,"_

"I did hear, however, that you were dating somebody," L retorted, "Is that why you're refusing me?"

Raito's eyes widened, "How did you hear that? It's a lie, a lie I told a patient because I didn't want a relationship with him. How could you have possibly heard about that?"

"A meaningless errand."

"You mean… the same guy from the mall?" L nodded. "That's impossible! They looked nothing alike, acted nothing alike."

"Ah, the meaningless errand is quite skilled at taking on roles and changing appearances."

Raito bowed his head, "He looked so much like you. So much it scared me."

They were both silent and L was positive he could see tremors in his body, "Raito-kun…" The doctor didn't look up, "Raito, do you have any cake?"

Raito was quick on his feet, running toward the mini fridge, "What kind? I have chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake, tiramisu, triple chocolate cake, vanilla cake, angel food cake, cheesecake, carrot cake, red velvet cake, pound cake, sponge cake, devil's food cake, ice cream cake…"

"Chocolate cake is fine, Raito-kun."

* * *

Raito watched L eat his slice of cake with fascination. Could a person really eat cake with such intensity? In no time L stuck out his plate, silently asking for another. Raito slid another slice on his plate and watched the passion all over again.

"It has been a long time since I've lasted had cake, Raito-kun."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"I do not mind. It has been a long time since I've felt Raito stare at me. I enjoy that feeling."

He felt his face flush, "That's quite creepy, L."

There was a chuckle in response, "I'm been known to be creepy, Raito-kun." He finished his second piece and denied a third.

L leaned forward until his lips were brushed against Raito's, "I want something else sweet…" With a slight push, their lips were conjoined. Raito was shocked into a frozen state. The sugary taste of chocolate filled his mouth as L managed to break down his walls and plunge his tongue in. Raito, as if spark jolted by the familiar taste, twisted his hands in L's hair and his tongue responded with fierce determination.

His grip in L's hair and L's hold around his waist were tight and painful, clutching the other as if a tornado was brewing around them.

Raito broke first gasping for air. He leaned his forehead against L's, shaking softly. L cooed, gently wiping away the tears.

"You won…" he whispered, "You won the moment the bet was settled. I love you, I love you, I love you…"

"I love you too…"

* * *

What'd I tell ya? Fluffy.

All the paper star strips are based off of real ones that I played with when I ran into a writer's block.

Random plug: All Harry Potter fans should go to youtube and watch 'A Very Potter Musical' BEST THING EVER. I'm in love with the girl who plays Draco.

Can you believe it there's only one chapter left? I know I can't! Review!!!!


	22. Chapter 22

Title: An Apple a Day

Author: hyperRme

Summary: An apple a day keeps the doctor away… but if the doctor is cute forget the fruit. L turns this into his motto when he is forced to see doctor Raito because of his sugar only diet. As he pursues the doctor, L learns that the murderer he is trying to catch is after Raito's life.

Genre: Romance/Crime/Humor/Angst/Drama/Horror/Friendship/General/Mystery/Everything. But mainly romance. Lots of romance.

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Sorry the update took so long! I just didn't want it to end! I love this story to pieces. Thank you so much for sticking with me for so long. I was a pain but… you enjoyed it right? And that's the most important part. The ending (an epilogue, if you will) is cute and stress free. A perfect ending, no?

Warnings: Lemon (it's my first one)

* * *

"Must we, Raito-kun?"

"I told you before, L, my family is dying to meet you."

"But they've already met me."

"My mom has never met you before, Sayu has only seen you when you were in a coma and my dad's never talked to you as my boyfriend."

L smiled, "I like that. Boyfriend."

His boyfriend pulled hard on the comb, "Do you? Now sit still, your hair is a mess."

Raito had been pleased to learn that L's back had stopped bleeding the day after he woke up. Although they will forever leave a scar, the cuts healed nicely. Raito despised seeing those scars sprawled across his boyfriend's entire back but L thought otherwise. "They show that I belong to Raito-kun. Would Raito-kun like me to cut my name in his back as well?" L had received a smack to the head.

Which made Raito wonder, as he mercilessly yanked on the knots in L's hair, what was his name anyway? Surely it was not Ryuuga Hideki or Ryuuzaki or L. When asked, the answer was always: "When the time is right."

Tonight was the anniversary of a month that L has been out of his coma. He's had no visitors so far, except for Watari. He and Raito both agreed that L would not be returning to work until he was completely healed, much to the detective's dismay. But then Watari had gone against Raito and joined up with L in saying that Raito needed to return to work. The doctor had agreed only if L come with him to work and come home with him afterwards. Now that Isha is gone, Soichirro allowed him to buy a new apartment and the raven haired man upheld his part of the bargain.

L flexed around his right foot, enjoying how light it felt, "I had missed sitting like this."

"I'm sure your back didn't."

"I know my taste buds missed the sweets."

"I don't get it. How do you still not have diabetes? You must have been born without the ability to develop it. There's no other reason."

"I think Raito's twice a week blood tests are a little extreme. Is he that eager to have me develop diabetes?"

"No, of course not, L. I just want to rub it in your face when you do."

"That was quite a burn, Raito-kun. I most definitely need some ice. My foot hurts. Could you get me some?"

* * *

"Doctor, doctor give me the news I got a bad case of loving you!" L sang as he jumped out of the car, leading a growling Raito to the door.

"L, you made me a promise that you would never ever sing that song."

"I find that song to be my theme song. It's a quite a catchy tune, doesn't Raito-kun agree?"

"No!"

L ignored him and pounded on the door. He quickly ran hand through his hair, undoing the somewhat calmer state Raito had managed to wrestle it into. The doctor knew he had waited until this very moment to return his hair to his natural state.

There was a loud crash on the opposite side of the door.

"I've got it!!!"

"Sayu, please stay with your mother in the kitchen and let me answer the door."

"No, I'm going to open it, Dad!"

"Both of you calm down, I'm answering the door."

"But I'm the man of the house!"

"But I'm the child! It's the child's job to answer the door because their parents are too lazy."

"I have yet to meet Ryuuga-kun so I am the one to answer it."

Raito briefly wondered why he knocked in the first place.

The door swung open to reveal all three of his family members nearly jumping out of the frame.

"Ryuuga-kun!"

"Hello again, Ryuuga-kun."

"Nice to meet you, Ryuuga-kun."

Raito thought what his family must have thought about him. L was wearing his usual attire, refusing to part from it, his back was bent horribly, his thumb was in his mouth, he didn't bother to put on shoes, his black rings were back and as prominent as ever, and his hair looked like he had awoken from his coma on the car ride over.

L shifted his weight from both feet to his left foot and gave a small wave, "Hello."

Raito wanted to smack him upside the head.

His family ushered him into the house leaving their son to enter on his own. Sayu pushed L onto the couch while his parents questioned what he wanted to eat or drink. Raito could feel the anxiety pouring off of his boyfriend's body.

He sat down next to him, "You're scaring him. Please calm down."

Slowly, his family introduced themselves one by one to him.

"I am L," he answered.

"L?" His mother gasped.

"The world's greatest detective?" Sayu asked.

"I thought you weren't going to tell anyone," his father said.

"You knew?" his mother questioned.

"Yagami-san and I worked together to capture Isha. We met face to face six weeks ago but he was not allowed to enclose that information to anyone."

"Were you aware of this, Raito?"

"He told me a while ago."

"So how did you two meet?" Sayu asked, leaning forward in her seat. "Raito never told me."

"I was forced again my will to meet with him and I was dreading it. The moment he walked through the door he criticized me."

"That's not what happened, L."

"Yes it is. Raito-kun immediately attacked my sitting posture."

"Who wouldn't? You sit like a gargoyle!"

"See what I mean? He criticized me the minute we met. Then Raito-kun starts complaining because that's what he does best."

"Hey!"

"He complains about my posture, my eating habits, my rude remarks, my apathetic attitude…"

"You are so annoying!"

"Raito-kun likes to prove my point. He then tells me that I need to start eating healthier unless I desire to develop diabetes."

"Which he still hasn't…" Raito muttered darkly under his breath.

"Which I still haven't," L smiled. "It was love at first sight."

"For you."

"Yes, it took Raito-kun a few Tuesday appointments, kisses, kicks, and a bet for the fact to sink into his thick skull."

The timer in the kitchen dinged, knocking the shocked expressions of their faces. Sachiko stood up, "Dinner should be ready soon." She rushed into the kitchen.

"It has been quite a while since we've last seen you, Raito," his father said, "What have you been up to since we last talked?"

"Taking care of him," Raito jabbed a thumb to the man next to him. "His wounds are all healed and his foot, with some physical therapy, will be perfectly normal soon."

"Misa said you're taking patients again," Sayu added.

"L and Watari thought it was for the best. Since Watari and I both agree that L will not be returning to work for a little while longer, he's been helping me out at work."

"Because of my broken foot and my paranoia of the criminals finding out who I am, I wasn't able to do much than work on the bills."

"You did a fine job on the bills. I never have enough time to pay them and Misa and Kiyomi can never fill them out correctly."

"It is such a waste of my intelligence…" L moaned, as Sachiko called them in for dinner.

Soirchirro sat at the head of the table facing his wife. Sayu sat to her right and Raito to her left, leaving L to sit between his boyfriend and his father. In the middle of the table were three plates, one of Gyoza, another of Udon and the last of Sukiyaki. Each person had their own bowl of Miso soup and white rice.

"I was not sure of what you liked L," his mother said, "Raito never informed me."

"It is fine, Yagami-san, thank you." L responded when Raito gave him a nudge in the side.

They all said thanks and began to eat. Raito watched out of the corner of his eye as L stared at the food. He grabbed the other's plate and placed a variety of items on it. "Have you never eaten a regular Japanese meal before? You look like you were just handed a crying baby and told to shut him up."

"Quite an interesting analogy, Raito-kun. But I've had a Japanese meal before."

"When?"

"Just yesterday when you shoved that disgusting green plant down my throat."

"That was lettuce, L, and not a traditional part of a Japanese meal. Can you name any of the meals on the table?"

L pointed to a bowl, "This is rice and the bowl next to it is Miso soup."

"Anything else?"

"That is spaghetti."

"That's Italian. This is Udon."

L wrinkled his nose as he repeated the word. He picked at the noodles with a chopstick and picked up a single strand. He sniffed it before allowing the noodle in his mouth. He chewed carefully, "It's not bad…"

"See? There's better food out there than cake."

"I did not say it was better than cake. I said it's not bad."

"The more foods you try, the more accepting you will be to eating things other than dessert."

Sayu looked to her mother as Raito and L continued their bicker, "Can I only eat dessert too, Mother? Maybe that's where L gets all of his intelligence!"

"No, honey, cake is not good for your insides. You'll get fat. And intelligence does not come from cake; it comes from studying long and hard."

"Yeah, I guess cake doesn't make you smarter. If that were true, Raito would have an IQ of zero!"

"So, L," Soichirro asked, cutting in, "Where is Isha now?"

L glanced to his left, "He is dead, Yagami-san. His execution was eight days ago."

"How did that go?"

"Not so well. Raito and I attended. He was screaming the entire time, telling the police to let him go. He kept yelling that he needed to kill Raito Yagami until the moment his heart stopped beating."

Soichirro's eyes widened, "Did he ever see Raito?"

"No, he was aware that we were watching him through video cameras."

"I think that's enough talk of that for the dinner table," Sachiko interrupted. It was quiet for all of twelve seconds before…

Sayu suddenly slammed her palm onto the table, "I can't wait anymore! Did you two fuck yet?"

"Sayu!"

"That would be a no," L answered bluntly, picking up a mushroom with distaste. "Raito-kun is such a prude."

Raito blushed.

"Eh? Why not?"

"Sayu!"

"I had a cast on my right foot that just came off this morning. Raito-kun said I would only injure myself or him when we would engage in sexual activities." Raito was jabbing him in the side but L ignored him and kept talking in his monotone voice, "I guess it would be hard to 'pound him into the mattress' with a heavy cast on my foot."

Both of his parents were flabbergasted, mouths wide open. Sayu looked interested, "Why didn't you lie down and take it? Who said Raito had to be the bottom?"

L smiled and one could almost see the perverted plans formulating, "Ah but that is where you are wrong. I'm no submissive. I'm a top- an aggressive top. I have never once been submissive. One of the few things I can boast about. I have never even been submissive to a traffic signal."

Sayu stared in awe but Raito wanted nothing more than to punch his mouth off. "Surely, as a detective, you would know that's illegal." Soichirro gritted.

"Of course, Yagami-san, but you'll be happy to know that I have never caused an accident." L poked at a piece of tofu. "Is this sanitary?"

"Eat it or the dessert will mysteriously disappear," Although there was a smile on his boyfriend's face and the tone seemed pleasant (albeit rather forced), L knew Raito was not pleased. He quickly shoved the tofu in his mouth and swallowed. "Good boy."

* * *

They left two hours later. Sachiko had, thankfully, managed to bring the subject to another topic- one that did not include a man after Raito's life or Raito's sex life. Sayu had learned from Misa that L was a big fan of cake and for dessert they pulled out a giant red velvet cake with vanilla icing. Raito wished that L would eat some vegetables with that kind of intensity.

"That did not go as badly as I expected," L said on the car ride back.

"Probably for you! Did you have to bring up our nonexistent sex life?"

"It is not nonexistent, Raito-kun. We practically live in the resting room during your breaks." Raito blushed at the thought. "We've also…"

"Okay so it's not nonexistent! I get it!" he interrupted, determined to keep his mind and eyes on the road. The light changed up ahead to red and Raito eased into a stop.

L stared at the red light shining onto Raito's face, "The cast is off, Raito-kun. My foot is almost back to normal. I know you've been waiting for this moment as much as I have."

Raito turned to L, "You mean…"

"Ah, the light is green now, Raito-kun."

* * *

Raito gasped as his back was rammed roughly into the door. L pounced on him, attaching his lips to his neck. "C-couldn't even wait to get inside, could you…?" he moaned. He felt L smirk against his skin, giving an extra hard chomp, "Gah! … bastard…"

L pulled him away from the door, motioning for him to tie his legs around his waist. Raito did so and yelped as L grabbed his bottom and carried him into their apartment. L reattached his lips to Raito's, making a blind attempt to make it into their bedroom.

The apartment was rather simple and quite empty. L knew he wouldn't have much problem finding his destination. Raito groaned into the kiss as L made a wrong turn and bruised his back on a door frame. "Be careful with your foot," he whispered in between kisses.

L muttered something incoherent against his mouth. He found the door with his left knee cap and carefully reached for the handle, resting Raito's back against the wood. When the door opened, they collapsed to the carpet. He noticed Raito opening his mouth to nag so he quickly silenced that with a long, deep kiss.

He ran his tongue along his top lip, followed by a quick nip to the bottom. Raito obeyed and allowed the intruder to enter his mouth. His tongue followed every bump on the doctor's teeth, plunged into every corner, and licked across the roof of his mouth.

L's hand traveled south and was just about to touch base with the khaki pants when Raito ripped their mouths apart, "We're not doing this on the floor."

"Ah, yes, I forgot that Raito-kun is a virgin and thus his first time. He wants this to be special."

There was a coating of pink on his cheeks, "It doesn't have to be special. It's just not allowed on the floor."

L dug his hands behind Raito's back and effortlessly lifted him from the carpet. "If Raito-kun wants it on the bed, then he shall have it on the bed."

Raito squealed as he was dropped on the mattress. L joined him, crawling toward him like a jaguar. "You're a virgin too, aren't you L?"

"Not in my dreams," L said as he darkened the hickey he had started before, "Wasn't Raito-kun playing attention when I said I'm Raito-sexual? How could I possibly have another boyfriend?"

Raito smiled. He pulled L's mouth from his neck to his lips, "I love you too." The corners of L's lips quirked up as he shoved his hand up his shirt, "… bastard…"

"I try." He unbuttoned the first button, growing impatient, "Why did Raito-kun wear this vile shirt? There are so many buttons!" L chose to rip the shirt open, buttons scattering around the room.

"L!" Raito shrieked at the sight of his button down, "That's my favor- ahh!" he gasped as L clamped his mouth over a dusty pink nipple. Raito moaned, his hands intertwining in dark strands. L chewed gently, but sucked hard. One of his hands twisted the other nipple while another hand reached for the pants button.

Raito never realized his pants were gone until his boxers were at his knees. Determined to regain control over his lust-hazed mind, he flipped positions. L landed on the mattress with a soft thump.

The doctor smirked at the glare he was given. He leaned forward, capturing their lips in a Battle Royale-like kiss as his fingers groped for the hem of the white sweater. He ripped the shirt from L's body. Raito paused to admire the leanness of his chest, so pale, so skinny, and so incredibly beautiful. He had seen L's chest before but never in such a situation like this.

His brown eyes widened. He spun L onto his stomach. Raito's fingers slowly and gently traveled across his name in the way he would write it on a school assignment. Up, across, down, hook, two horizontal lines. He felt L shiver underneath him.

Suddenly, L was on top of him and Raito's back was pressed against the silk covers. He bent down, giving the other a quick smack of the lips. "No, no, Raito-kun. I believe I told you that I'm the top. I have never once been submissive. One of the few things I can boast about. I have…

"Never even been submissive to a traffic signal," Raito finished with a smirk, "So I've heard." He reached down and hooked his fingers around L's belt loops, pulling him closer. Their mouths and tongues clashed clumsily, preoccupied with other tasks. Raito fumbled with the jean button and the zipper. He managed to pull down his pants and boxers to his knees before L edgily kicked them across the room. L massaged Raito's chest, paying special care to his sensitive nipples and belly button.

"Raito-kun is so beautiful when he's naked," He mused, running a hand down his boyfriend's thigh, "So very beautiful indeed."

Raito hissed as L's hand began to knead a very personal section, "L…."

"What is this?" L grinned, showing teeth, "An erection? From me? With no help from Viagra? Impossible." He kissed the tip and Raito nearly screamed. "Such a reaction…" He complied and wrapped his mouth around the penis.

"Ahh … Mmh…!"

L licked up the underside like a Popsicle and sucked on the skin like a lollipop. Raito bit his bottom lip, "Ngh…" L gnawed, determined to receive more of a response.

Raito moaned loudly, "L!" He bucked his hips wildly, wanting release. But L pulled away, a thin trail of salvia connecting his lips and his penis. "It'll be no fun if Raito-kun comes before me," he apologized with a quick kiss.

"L…" he whispered, reaching up to strangle his boyfriend. L quickly stuck three fingers in his mouth. Raito looked at him perplexedly.

"Suck," he commanded. Raito did so, and with an evil thought, returned the same torture-like pleasure. L gasped as his fingers were thoroughly attacked with a skilled tongue, teeth grazing over his knuckles. Raito nibbled on the fingertips and ran his tongue under the nails.

Growling, L pulled his three fingers back and shoved one inside Raito's anus. The brunette yelped and shivered. He squeezed his eyes shut. It felt so weird!

L reassuringly rubbed his thigh as he entered another finger. He began to scissor his fingers, stretching out the small hole. Raito hissed, trying to force himself to grow accustom to the feeling. It took all of his will to not cry out when yet another finger was added, stretching.

The pain slowly started to fade and the odd sensation did not feel as weird as it once did. He moaned, enjoying how L's fingers would graze his inside wall. Suddenly, he saw white stars across his vision, "Ahh!"

"I was wondering where that was…" L muttered, pressing that same spot once more. Raito gasped loudly, pressing his hips downward to meet with the fingers again and again.

L stopped with thrusting hips with his free hand as he slipped his fingers out. "Wha…?" Raito complained. He was suddenly full again with something much larger. "Gah!!"

L kissed his open mouth, successfully distracting him from the pain, "Shhh… Relax…" Raito tried to calm his hyperactive body but every small centimeter that L moved caused him to straighten his back in pain. His legs shifted against the mattress and his hands twitched to push L and his penis away from him.

Kisses were planted all over his face and a hand was at his thigh again, massaging gently. Raito stared into L's lust-glazed eyes, seeing a hint of another emotion hidden underneath. "Nhh… L…" His insides were burning. He felt like a small shift would cause him to tear into two, like a rag doll ripped at the seams. He was vaguely aware of the hot angry tears on his cheeks.

Soon L paused moving, "I'm in Raito-kun," he breathed.

Raito budged, trying to find a comfortable position. Every movement he made caused L to hiss louder. He watched his boyfriend seeing that his dark eyes were shut and his body was shaking with unattainable pleasure.

"Move," he ordered, snaking his arms around his neck. L opened his eyes and nodded. He shifted backwards then thrust forward. Raito grunted and L immediately stopped. "N-no…" he panted. "Keep going…"

L thrust into him again and again. Raito did his best to ignore the pain. Soon the pain was masked by sheer pleasure. "Ngh!" He tried to supply oxygen to his lungs. "O-oh…!" he moaned noisily as his sweet spot was found. "Oh God, L!"

With a small smirk, L aimed for the same spot. "F-faster!" He picked up the pace. "Harder!" He pounded harder. "Aah!" His back was arched off the bed.

Raito threw his legs around his waist and his nails were digging into his back. He clung for dear life as L mercilessly struck that sensitive bundle of nerves over and over. His body shook as his lower stomach tightened. Without much of a warning other than, "_L!!!_" he came, squirting his cum on their stomachs.

With one last deep thrust, L bit onto Raito's shoulder as he came violently into him. His arms shook from his own weight and he collapsed on top of his lover's chest, nuzzling his cheek into his warm skin.

Raito was breathing harshly as he gripped at L's sweat-slicken hair, "T-that…"

L lifted his head and leaned forward for a kiss, "We could have done that a lot sooner if Raito-kun would had listened to me when I said that we should sleep together."

He received a glare but it was offset by the flushed cheeks and messy, wet hair, "We could have done that a lot sooner if L wasn't so sex-driven."

"It is not my fault I express my love through sexual advances." His lips quirked upward and he rolled to the left. Raito yelped in surprise as he was dragged from his position and onto L's chest. The detective locked his arms around his waist.

"How was I supposed to know that?" Raito questioned, leaning his sweaty forehead against his lovers, "I thought you were just after some ass."

"I'm sure Raito-kun wouldn't mind too much if I were after some ass right now…"

The doctor rolled his melted caramel eyes and rested his head on his chest. After a few moment's silence, "L… you won't leave again, will you?"

The arms around his waist tightened, "Not unless Raito-kun wants me to. Besides, I have your name on my back. It will be like my own personal dog collar. 'Please call Raito Yagami if found'."

Raito flinched, "L, please don't bring up your scars…" He felt L's fingers outlining on his back. He felt the letter 'L' being traced. "L?" He asked. He felt another 'L' being traced below the first. "L?" He then felt an A and realized what he was playing at, "A, W, L, I, E, T."

"Say it," L hissed hotly in his ear.

"L Lawliet…" He cupped L's face in his hands and kissed him deeply.

"Now Raito-kun knows all of my secrets. Whatever shall he do with them?" L asked.

Raito smirked, running a hand down L's arm, "Let's have a check up, shall we? Your arm is healed…" He brushed against his shoulder, "Your shoulder is healed…" He engaged the two of them in a quick game of footsies, "Your foot is healed…" He tickled his hand over L's stomach, "Your stomach is healed…" He traced his name over L's back as L spelt his name on his, "And your back seems to be doing well."

"Will Raito-kun play doctor with me? I'm afraid of doctors, you know?"

Raito pressed his lips to L's. "Is that so?" he whispered sensually against L's soft lips. "I'm just going to have to change your mind, aren't I?"

L moaned at the thought, "Look, Raito-kun, no Erectile Dysfunction!"

Raito laughed, "I suppose not. After all, you are Raito-sexual."

"At least I do not have-Gah!" Raito paused in his activities, giving L an innocent look. "Raito-kun…" he growled. "Remove your finger at once."

"Look, L, no Proctitis!"

* * *

Did I not say it was gonna be cute? Raito was a little OOC but whatever. He was the entire story.

Once again thank you so much for reading this story! Without readers, I would have given up on this!

I have another story I'm currently writing. It'll take a while for me to finalize the plot and get the writing going but I hope you all will read it. It's called 'Enemy of the State'. Please look for it in the future.

Oh this is exciting! My first multi-chapter story finished!


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